While pollution in the Yamuna flowing close to the Commonwealth Games Village would continue to be a cause for concern during the Commonwealth Games here, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday unveiled the “Commonwealth Games Delhi-2010 Ecological Code” that seeks to make the Games the “greenest ever’’.
The code would monitor and minimising the polluting impact of the sporting event by ensuring reduction in carbon emissions and focussing on clean fuel, waste management and water conservation and waste management.
The code was released by the Chief Minister at Delhi Secretariat in the presence of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor. Mr. Tharoor is also the chairman of the Green Games Sub-Committee OC CWG Delhi 2010.
Following the event, Ms. Dikshit declared that a number of steps have already been initiated to reduce pollution. The Chief Minister said one of the coal-based power plants in the city has been shut down, the entire road public transport in the city now runs on CNG, which is a clean fuel, and attempts are being made to have more hybrid vehicles to reduce consumption of diesel and petrol.
Pointing out that the Delhi Government was creating green areas near various venues for the Games, particularly the Games Village and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium that would host the athletics events apart from the opening and closing ceremonies, Ms. Dikshit said the focus would be on recycling waste generated during the Games. She said at a time when the green cover of Delhi has been increasing every year, the Organising Committee has also been told to use more recycled paper.
The Chief Minister said the Thyagraj Stadium that has been constructed by the Delhi Government has also come up as a green structure with its own gas-based power plant.
Asked about pollution in the Yamuna, she said cleaning the river would take time and it cannot be cleaned before the Games.
Referring to the Games mascot “Shera”, Mr. Kalmadi said: “Pedh hai to sher hai’’ (If there are trees, only then would there be tigers). He spoke about how for a “Green Games”, the Organising Committee had developed a “Green Games Vision” wherein it would “strive to reduce consumption and carbon footprint and become the benchmark for the multi-disciplinary games in future’’.
Mr. Tharoor said the document would go a long way in enriching the green games concept as it has been carefully and diligently prepared to make the event a memorable one.
The code targets the impact of the event on the spheres of land, energy, water, waste, air and carbon and provides tangible targets and environmental mandates that the Organising Committee has set out for itself in its quest for striving towards hosting a consumption and carbon neutral event.
The targets and mandates set out in the Delhi 2010 Ecological Code will be the guiding principles for developing a variety of strategic initiatives and recommendations to the Games delivery partners and other stakeholders for having a “green” event.
