Watching Games may be a long haul for the disabled

Despite all the stadia for the Commonwealth Games 2010 being made barrier free for enabling the disabled and those with reduced mobility to watch the international sporting event, there is a grave risk that India may not be able to project its disabled-friendly image properly since inadequate alighting arrangements for such people near the Games venues would dissuade many of them from visiting the stadia.

The issue has been raised by Sanjeev Sachdeva, director of Sanjeevni, who has carried out access audits of various infrastructure projects such as the Delhi Metro, and buildings and premises such as the Dilli Haat. Mr. Sachdeva has noted with concern that while special parking facilities have been provided for the VVIP’s, Organising Committee members and officials, and ministers, senior bureaucrats and other selected dignitaries, but no such arrangements have been planned for persons with disabilities.

“No clear cut area has so far been marked as reserved alighting and safe zone for people with disabilities -- especially those with with mobility impairments -- and persons with reduced mobility which comprise senior citizens, families with young children and pregnant women,” he said. Noting that “due to security reasons” the general parking has been kept at an average distance of between 500 metres and a kilometre from the stadia, he said, it would be extremely difficult for people with reduced mobility or those carrying them to cover such long distances.

Delhi has been built seven times, but on this the eighth occasion, for the first time a lot of emphasis has been laid on making the sidewalks, roads and buildings, including the stadia, barrier free, Mr. Sachdeva said. He, therefore, demanded that without compromising on the security, such people should be provided with easy access to the stadia. Mr. Sachdeva has in a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also suggested that special buses with hydraulic lifts, such as those owned by non-government organisations like AADI, Amar Jyoti and EOC University of Delhi, should be used for taking disabled and persons with reduced mobility from the parking lot to the stadium and back.

Also, there should be shuttle buses between various stadia to facilitate movement of passengers from one Games venue to the other. For the benefit of the visually impaired the main gate should be painted in bright colours (preferably yellow or red) for easy identification, he added.

Mr. Sachdeva has also suggested that special parking labels be issued by the traffic police to vehicles owned and registered in the name of persons with disabilities. These people should be told to apply for stickers and all the security regulations such as verification of disability certificate, need for an escort, and verification of other documents should be done at least two months before the Games to avoid any kind of inconvenience. “People with disabilities also have an equal right to watch and participate in the Commonwealth Games,” said Mr. Sachdeva.

England dismiss fears of mass exodus from Delhi Commonwealth Games

Chef-de-mission Craig Hunter has quashed suggestions that the Commonwealth Games will see development squads of gymnastics and athletics from England and allayed fears of a mass exodus of top athletes from the next year's mega event in the Indian Capital.

Athletics' officials have admitted that the European Championships in Barcelona next summer is of much more importance, while England's top gymnasts will compete in the World Championships in Rotterdam in a bid to qualify for London 2012. But Hunter, who managed England's swimmers at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games said, ''Let's wait until we board the plane in September. The majority of the household names have said they will be there but a lot of things can happen along the way.'' Team England will be sending over 380 athletes plus 200 team staff to Delhi, while Australia expect 425 athletes to travel for the October 3-14 Games. The Commonwealth Games are being viewed as a pathway into London 2012 and some sports are focusing on final preparations into the Olympics, such as Aquatics who are using it as their principle event next year. Double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington has already given his word for the Delhi Games, saying a gold medal ''will be a highlight of my career''. However, Hunter did admit that there were a few problems that the Commonwealths pose to other sports. ''The calendar does clash and with funding the way it is there are other priorities for the governing bodies,'' Hunter told 'The Telegraph Sport.' England's Commonwealth Games chairman, Andrew Foster had earlier said that England's aim would be to beat Australia in Glasgow 2014.

''We can only set ourselves a target when we have done the work behind it,'' he had said earlier this year.

Hunter meanwhile said, ''That's a challenge for us. We want to achieve our best ever Games. We are continually raising the bar to be the top nation in the Commonwealth.''

Games: Dikshit nervous but hoping for the best

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said she was nervous about the Commonwealth Games but was certain that the government would come out in flying colours.

“I should be nervous. You are nervous when there is a big event in your family,” Dikshit told reporters on the sidelines of a programme here in the capital.

“But I am sure we will manage it,” she added.

The Chief Minister said the year had gone well for her and the government hoped that the next one would be the same. “2009 achcha beeta (went well)...looking forward to 2010,” she said.

Earlier speaking at the function organised by an NGO Child Fund, she said her government was ready to offer any help to people working for social development so that India becomes a superpower not only in terms of quality of life but also as a moral society.

The need of the hour is for everyone to pool resources and develop the children of the country, Dikshit said.

“The government cannot reach out to everybody. NGOs can play a major role in this regard to reach out to people. They can give a holistic view to a child’s character and skill,” she said.

The Delhi government, with the two Dilli Haat projects has tried to put up outlets for selling handicraft and recycled items, she said.

Commonwealth Games 2010 contract referred to solicitor general

The contract between public broadcaster Prasar Bharati and UK-based SIS Live for television coverage of the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010 has now been referred to solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam, it is learnt.

A source in the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry said that opinion of the solicitor general has been sought on the draft contract between Prasar Bharati and SIS.

Also, the I&B ministry has written to the Central vigilance commissioner Pratyush Sinha on the coverage of the games and the tendering process for selection of the broadcaster. I&B secretary Raghu Menon's recent letter to Sinha, elaborating on the tender process, is being seen as a cautious step to ward-off controversies on a later date.

Sources pointed out that SIS wanted certain changes in its contract with Prasar Bharati, and that resulted in difference of opinion between the finance wing of the broadcaster and the Doordarshan Directorate. Subsequently, a decision was taken to seek the advice of the solicitor general.

After a tender process, in which at least 10 players participated, five were shortlisted. Finally, SIS Live of the UK was selected for production and coverage of the Commonwealth Games for Rs 246 crore.

Officials in the I&B ministry said that since Prasar Bharati does not have the expertise to conduct an international event in the high-definition television (HDTV) format, production and coverage of the games had been outsourced.

An empowered committee comprising top officials of Doordarshan and All India Radio selected the broadcaster.

SIS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Satellite Information Services (Holdings) Ltd and is owned by a combination of leisure and financial investors, according to the company website. It's into TV production, broadcasting and providing live pictures and data via satellite. It also supplies TV programming and data services to the UK and Ireland betting industry.

Among other bidders shortlisted for producing the games coverage were ADAG group's Big Products in consortium with Inter Public Marketing Services Shanghai and Tokyo Broadcasting Systems.

Sources pointed out that the ADAG group may not be keen on producing the games any more, after having put in the bid a few months ago.

India Gate spruces up for Games

A rush of makeovers is steadily propelling Delhi to put forward its best foot before the Commonwealth Games next year. It is now time to take care of the Capital’s heart.

The Central Public Works Department has taken up the task of renovating the city’s famous landmark, the Central Vista — or the entire area surrounding the India Gate, including the Rajpath, the lawns flanking it and also the National Stadium.

The idea is to give it back its pristine look when India Gate was unveiled in 1931, Chief Architect of CPWD and Secretary of the Central Vista Committee R K Kakar told Newsline.

On the drawing board are flattening of the lawns, changing all damaged stones and vertical posts, also known as bollards, and cleaning up the area’s water bodies.

Longer-lasting granite bollards will replace the simple cemented ones all along the Rajpath. Parts of the iron chain that gatekeep the lawns along Rajpath have gone missing and will be put in place, Kakar said.

Kakar said level of the lawns has also increased over the years due to layers of manure and soil dumped on the surface regularly. Since the lawns have become elevated, the rains wash away the soil into the nearby water bodies, thereby choking them.

“We will flatten the lawns to their original level before planting fresh grass. We are also looking at ways to gather rain water around trees, so that the water does not flow down to the water bodies,” Kakar said.

Due to wear and tear, the Rajpath has also shifted course at places from the straight road it used to be. To make it appear straight, the CPWD has decided to keep the dust off the road, since dust dilutes boundaries.

For this, two strips of sandstone will now be placed on the entire stretch — one, between the Rajpath’s lawns and the bollards and the second, between the road and the red gravel sidewalks.

Both strips will act as buffers — so that dust from the flowerbeds does not reach the lawns and that from the sidewalks to the road. Without the dust flying around, the road will appear sharper, and seem straight, sources said.

At present, sandstone strips are being erected on an 80-metre stretch in the middle of Rajpath to check if the idea is feasible. Work on replacing bollards, the chains and cleaning the water bodies is also on. Besides this, the CPWD is also working on laying fresh footpaths of red sandstone on the Central Vista.

For the rest, CPWD is looking at a Republic Day deadline. Kakar said: “Finalising all details is an ongoing process. The spruce-up should be completed well before the Games.”

Ministry acts tough on age frauds, issues guidelines to federations

The Sports Ministry on Tuesday cited some of the measures it had taken up this year, including efforts to prevent age frauds, strengthening of anti-doping mechanism and increasing accountability of national federations.

In a press release, the ministry detailed the expenses and measures taken by the government to bring transparency in the functioning of sport federations and curb doping. The government sanctioned a budget of Rs. 1620 crore and appointed officials in various capacities in the Commonwealth Games organising committee to improve management and financial administration.

However, the most important actions came after the ministry took note of several cases of age fraud with specific guidelines being drafted and issued to National Sports Federations (NSFs).

The NSFs are now required to issue identity cards to national athletes, draw a clear policy with regard to submission of documents in support of age proof and medical procedure for verification in case of doubt and appeal procedures.

Action has also been undertaken to collect and maintain the data and documents with regard to legal, financial, management and operational status of NSFs.

The government also announced pocket allowance of $25 per athlete per day participating in any major international events aboard. Till now, the government was providing allowance only to participants in major multi-disciplinary events.

A comprehensive action plan has prepared to increase the annual sample testing capacity of NADA from the existing 2000 to 5000 in 2010 to meet the demands of the Commonwealth Games. The plan includes upgradation of technology, recruitment of manpower, availability of foreign experts and setting up of new test methods as per WADA guidelines.

Muslims angry at plan to ban city's thousands of donkeys

Plans to remove all working donkeys from India’s capital in a bid to clean-up the streets ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games have left hundreds of families fearing for their livelihoods.

Across Old Delhi there are an estimated 2,500 donkeys and mules usually carrying bricks to construction sites or removing concrete rubble from demolished buildings. They are led by their owners or labourers employed for the day to tend to the animals.

In October, officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and local police officers visited the owners of Delhi’s working donkeys and warned them their animals would have to be removed from the city soon. The move is part of a campaign by Delhi to gloss over its filthy streets and present itself as a “world class city” during the games next October by removing beggars, vagrants, rubbish and anything else that spoils this image – including the city’s working animals.

In parts of the old city nearly 1,500 mostly poor and illiterate Muslim families are directly dependant on donkeys and mules for their livelihood, estimated Yusuf Mohammed, a leader of Delhi’s horse, donkey and mule owners union. They are now waiting to see if the city’s authorities will take them away.

“We have been told, our animals will be impounded and we shall be thrown out of the city if we don’t leave Delhi [along with the donkeys] on our own.” said Sheruddin, as he fed and watered his two donkeys at their makeshift stable on the pavement after a day’s work clearing a demolition site in Old Delhi’s Turkman Gate area.

“For generations we have been doing this job in this city, along with these animals,” he said. “We cannot understand how our animals and us have suddenly turned into a nuisance for them now.”

Sheruddin, a 45-year-old who lives in a nearby slum with his wife and three children, said he was not sure what he would do if the plan to remove the animals goes ahead.

“We have nowhere to go. The government is not doing the right thing by being so cruel to us,” he said.

In Turkman Gate owners of about 250 working donkeys and mules are worried about their fate.

“MCD officials surveyed the area recently and we have been asked to remove all donkeys and mules and clean up the stables because, they said, they don’t look good in a beautiful city,” said Saleem Mohammed, who keeps two donkeys in the Turkman Gate stables and is the son of 76-year-old Yusuf Mohammed, the union leader.

“We were born and have grown up in this city. We have got our families settled here. Our children have been studying in local schools. We will be at sea if we are forced out of our native place now.”

Yusuf Mohammed said the animals have a 400-year-old medieval heritage which dates from when nomadic groups arrived from Multan and settled in Delhi to help construct the city in the early 17th century under the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

“They should not take an abrupt decision to throw out the animals without planning a proper rehabilitation package of our families and the animals,” said Mr Yusuf. “The process of real rehabilitation in this case will take long years because we cannot leave this traditional profession unless our younger children get enough education and find jobs in another world when they grow up.

“But before they decide to ban the animals in the city it must be debated in the first place whether the animals have really no longer fit in today’s or tomorrow’s Delhi.”

No one from the MCD or the police would comment on the ban on working animals, claiming that no official notice has yet been served. Yusuf Mohammed said that sources in the MCD had privately informed him that an official notice asking the donkeys and mules to be removed from the city was being prepared to be served to the animal owners next month. In an attempt to delay the plan, his union executives will meet the city officials and police next week.

For Mohammad Nazar, who owns two donkeys and one mule, the eviction cannot work. The 50-year-old believes that as congestion in the old part of the city grows and roads and lanes becomes narrower, construction companies will come to rely more on the donkeys and mules.

“Eighty per cent of construction sites in Old Delhi are not adjacent to bigger roads,” he said. “Inside most of the narrow winding lanes and by-lanes even mini vans cannot enter to bring in the bricks [to a construction site] or take out the rubble. Donkeys and mules cannot be outsmarted by any other mode here.

“As the population is growing, roads and lanes are getting narrower. In this situation I think the utility of the donkeys and mules is in fact increasing in Old Delhi. You don’t need them in well-planned modern parts of the city where most construction sites are connected with wide roads. But you need our animals in Old Delhi, where congestion is higher.”