Delhi Sealing : Judges to visit Commonwealth Games Village site
The Delhi High Court has expressed concern over the alleged violations made by the Centre in choosing the site for the Commonwealth Games 2010 in the vicinity of the Yamuna river and said it will inspect the site.
Justices A.K. Sikri and Rekha Sharma will visit the proposed Commonwealth Games Village site on the Yamuna riverbed near the mammoth new Akshardham temple in East Delhi for an on-the-spot feel of the layout. The Judges expressed their desire to visit the site while hearing a PIL by social activist Vinod Jain seeking a direction to the Centre not to allow development of such projects on the riverbed and floodplain of the Yamuna that hinder groundwater recharge and environment regeneration.
Solicitor General G Vahanavati, appearing before the bench for the Union of India, argued that the Government had not violated any court order because the project to construct the Commonwealth games village at the river bed was an adminstrative order and was made keeping in mind the larger interest.
The petition, filed by environmentalist Rajinder Singh, alleged that the DDA violated the court’s earlier order, which prohibited construction of any permanent structure on the river-bed.
The petition has challenged the games village site, alleging that the DDA’s proposed construction on the river-bed would adversely affect the eco-system.