Rejected, plans DDA can’t get cleared

Clock ticking, but no DUAC clearance for two Games venues — Yamuna and Siri Fort sports complexes

While the Delhi government claims all Commonwealth Games-related projects are on schedule, two of the venues for the mega event are yet to obtain clearance from the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC).

Practice venues for badminton and squash at the Siri Fort Sports Complex and for table tennis at the Yamuna Sports Complex respectively, are still awaiting DUAC’s approval. In a meeting held last month, the commission noted that project plans for both venues were found wanting in many respects. It noted that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the civic agency in charge of the projects, had failed to comply with the earlier observations of the art body.

There was no plan for external traffic circulation, including connectivity with the city network for the TT venue, the commission found. The DUAC also noted that the DDA had not complied with its earlier observations regarding the paving of a large area at the Siri Fort complex and the temporary foot overbridge spanning the Siri Fort wall.

With regard to the tennis stadium, the commission found that none of the drawings submitted by the DDA showed any provision for unhindered public access to the venue from the common parking lots for cars and buses. The access shown in the plan was blocked by a parking lot and a road, it noted.

“The commission was dismayed to note that the same observations given in earlier meetings have not been complied with by the DDA. The drawings and the model were still not tallying with each other,” read the observation recently published on the official DUAC website.
The DDA had recently asked a private company — Sportina Payce Infrastructure Limited — to pay a compensation of nearly Rs 6 crore for the “slow pace” in the work at a swimming practice venue, fitness centre and athletic tracks for the Games.

The DDA has now been directed to resubmit the plans after brining them in line with the DUAC observations at the earliest.