Doubts Over 'unfit' Delhi Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games are in crisis following a series of construction incidents and with the accommodation in the Games' athlete's village being described as unfit for human habitation.

On Monday, 23 labourers were injured as an access footbridge to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue for the Games, collapsed. The footbridge was being developed by the Indian company responsible for the Stadium and the venues for netball and track cycling.

On Tuesday, part of the roof of the weightlifting venue caved in.

By yesterday, team delegates arriving at the athletes' village found the accommodation to be filthy, unhygienic and strewn with building waste.

As a result, Michael Fennell, the Commonwealth Games Federation President has demanded the Indian government take immediate steps to improve conditions in Delhi.

With the village set to officially open to the first of 7,000 athletes and officials on Friday, New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie has suggested the Games might even be cancelled.

Pointing out that said toilets in the accommodation were leaking and did not flush, and there were piles of building debris in bathrooms, Currie told New Zealand commercial radio "if the village is not ready and athletes can't come, obviously the implications of that are that it's not going to happen.

"It's pretty grim really and certainly disappointing when you consider the amount of time they had to prepare."

The Games village was meant to be the event's showpiece. However, Indian media is reporting that only 18 of 34 residential towers are complete.

Australia's chef de mission, retired marathon runner Steve Moneghetti, said in Melbourne that the hosts "have got two days to do what's probably going to take about two weeks".

Work in completing the athlete's village are being made difficult by heavy rains, with the rain contributing to an outbreak of dengue fever outbreak in the Indian capital.

The setbacks add to the problems of an event plagued by construction delays, allegations of corruption and fears over security.

Organisers of the event, which runs from 3rd to 14th October, said the facilities would be excellent.

According the BBC's Delhi online correspondent Soutik Biswas "clearly, the 'Indian way' hasn't worked - and the Games are turning out to be India's bonfire of vanities."

Earlier problems surrounding faked venue safety certificates were reported at www.ausleisure.com.au/news/delhi-commonwealth-games-safety-certificates-faked

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