India Risks Losing Host Site For Commonwealth Games

Officials in charge of the Commonwealth Games have reportedly issued an urgent warning that India may have to pull-out as host of the 2010 Games due to the dispute surrounding the Games Village site, as well as delays in stadium construction.

Games organisers had planned to build the Village next to the River Yamuna. However, the site covers part of the bed of the river, which means that construction on it may put flows of groundwater and the ecology of the waterway in danger.

Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Austin Sealey, who has inspected the site, expressed concerns surrounding the conflict, claiming that changing the plans for the Village could  “seriously jeopardise” India’s prospects of hosting of the games.

In addition to the dispute over the location of the village, there have also reportedly been drastic delays of construction on several stadiums, including the cycling Velodrome. Sealey urged the importance of building a stadium as soon as possible, saying that a temporary one should be built if necessary.

The next inspection is due in March.