Delayed, DDA projects may again miss CWG deadlines

Rs 1,034 crore, two years and a dedicated team of officers besides thousands of workers are apparently not enough to get projects finished in time. Of the six major projects that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was given for the Commonwealth Games — the Yamuna and Siri Fort  sport complexes, Games Village and practice venue, training venues in Saket sports complex and 5,009 rooms in Vasant Kunj for technical officials — almost none have met their deadline.

Now, neither the Yamuna sports complex nor the Commonwealth Games Village look to be ready by August 31 as promised earlier. Worse, DDA officials say that of the 40 towers that were to be ready for the Games in Vasant Kunj, only 20 will be handed over.

The list of projects delayed is certainly long for the DDA. Topping the list is the Yamuna Sports Complex, which has consistently missed all deadlines. While the show court of the main table tennis stadium is yet to be completed — OC vice-chairman Randhir Singh optimistically claimed on Monday that it would take another week —, the rest of the complex has severe drainage bottlenecks that has stopped work on landscaping and even approach road within the site. Officials at the site admit that substantial work remains to be completed before the venue is ready.

Like the Yamuna sports complex, flats for OC staff and tourists in D3, Vasant Kunj are also considerably delayed. Senior officials admit that of the 40 towers that were to be built for the Games, only 20 towers will be ready. Said the official, "We’ve handed over 1,000 rooms for furnishing to the ITDC. Around 18 towers are clear with another tower expected to be ready within a couple of days."

Not more than 20 towers can be handed over to the OC by September 10, the deadline set by DDA, admit officials. Incidentally, the DDA’s commitment was for 5,009 rooms, with the ITDC planning to present the flats as three-star hotels to budget travellers. All such plans have been shelved now, say sources.

Across town, DDA’s Commonwealth Games Village is also causing worry. While construction of the 34 towers is complete, furnishing of the 1,100-odd flats is nowhere near completion. Landscape work in the site is also going on, along with painting and other repair jobs in some of the towers. A club, which is right in the middle of the complex, is also being completed. The practice venue, meanwhile, is still under construction with DDA claiming the venue will be ready by the first week of September.

It’s not the first training venue of the DDA lagging behind schedule. Training facilities in other venues like Siri Fort and Yamuna sports complex are expected to be completed by next month, while the work in the Saket sports complex is not finished as well.

The only venue that DDA seems to have managed to get right is the Siri Fort complex, where cabling work for security and technology network is under way. The main stadium here is finished, say DDA officials, though the landscaping is yet to be completed.