We for Yamuna Petition

Stop Commonwealth Games Village Construction on the Banks of Yamuna


To:

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, India

Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister,New Delhi

CC:

Mike Hooper, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation

Tejendra Khanna, Lt. Governor, New Delhi

Dinesh Rai, Vice Chairman, Delhi Development Authority



Subject:       Appeal to Stop Commonwealth Games Village Construction on Yamuna

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are concerned about the fate of the Yamuna River and urge you to stop the construction of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Village Complex on the Yamuna floodplain.

The Yamuna River exists on an ecologically sensitive floodplain which supplies much of Delhi’s drinking water. As Delhi urbanizes and its population quickly grows, water resources are becoming increasingly inadequate. Freshwater is already a scarce commodity in Delhi and further construction on the floodplains will only exacerbate the water crisis. Development along riverbanks has occurred in other cities, however construction on a monsoon-fed and flood-prone river such as the Yamuna will be fatal. It is crucial to save the floodplain to maintain the integrity of the river and ensure we have sufficient water.

Studies have consistently predicted that construction of permanent structures on the Yamuna floodplain will have disastrous consequences such as floods, decreases in water discharge capacity, and reduction in water availability. Many studies have performed environmental assessments of Yamuna’s floodplains and its ecosystem. Reports sponsored by the World Bank 1, Institute of Economic Growth 2, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute of Nagpur (NEERI) 3, and the expert committee of the Ministry of the Environment have all concluded that no permanent structures should be built on the floodplains.

The Yamuna floodplains act as a buffer preventing water from flooding outside of the riverbed. If construction of the magnitude of the Commonwealth Games Village occurs on the floodplain, the colonies and settlements along the river as well as other areas of Delhi are expected to face floods. This area is also a crucial water recharge zone. The floodplains refresh the groundwater and aquifers each year. Groundwater levels will go down and will be unable to properly recharge with permanent structures in place. In addition to these outcomes, the floodplains are located on a seismically active area which could easily turn into a disaster.

Despite the recommendations of experts and scientific data presented, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) continues to make plans to construct the 2010 Commonwealth Village Games Complex. The construction violates environmental regulations and the DDA lacks approvals from government agencies and expert committees. The Central Groundwater Authority (CGWA) has not given permission for the Commonwealth Games Village Complex construction or water withdrawal 4. Neither the Yamuna Standing Committee nor the Usha Mehra Committee has given clearance for construction. In 2005, the Delhi High Court instructed the Usha Mehra Committee headed by Retired Delhi High Court Judge Usha Mehra to “take up in right earnestness and day-to-day basis the task of removing encroachments up to 300 meters from both sides of the River Yamuna. We are making it clear that no structure whether it pertains to religious, residential or commercial or any other purpose shall be allowed to exist.”

We call on you to ensure that the Yamuna floodplain is protected and development of permanent structures for the Commonwealth Games is discontinued on the floodplains. The Yamuna floodplain is a critical and invaluable source of water for the majority of Delhi’s residents as well as a source of water for agricultural and industrial use. We request you to adhere to environmental regulations and expert recommendations to prevent a water disaster from occurring.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

(Your Name Here)




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    Supporting Documents

  1. World Bank Commissioned Report (Delhi University)
  2. Institute of Economic Growth Report, “Ecosystem Services of Floodplains”, Yamuna
  3. National Environmental Engineering Research Institute of Nagpur (NEERI) Report
  4. RTI Application Response from the Central Groundwater Authority (CGWA)

    Recent News

  1. Yamuna panel chief wants demolition – November 2, 2007, Hindustan Times
  2. Commonwealth Games 2010: Delhi's death trap –October 18, 2007, CNN-IBN

    You can also write a letter to the editors of major dailies (Hindustan Times, Times Of India, Hindu etc) expressing your concern


    Want to contact the concerned authorities directly? Use these numbers:

  1. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister, India
    Office: 23012312.
    Fax: 23019545, 23016857
    Email: http://pmindia.nic.in/write.htm

  2. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi
    Office: 23392020, 23392030
    Residence: 23018998, 23018726
    Email: cmdelhi@nic.in

  3. Mike Hooper, CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation
    Office: 44-020-74918801
    Fax: 44-020-74097803
    Email: m.hooper@thecgf.com

  4. Tejendra Khanna, Lt.Governor, Delhi
    Office: 23975022, 23960809
    Residence: 23960101, 23970303
    Fax: 23937099, 23945004

  5. Dinesh Rai, Vice Chairman, Delhi Development Authority (DDA)
    Office: 24697900, 24699121, 24699479
    Residence: 23382233
    Fax: 24623968



This petition was created and is organized by Swechha/We for Yamuna. For more information, contact us at weforyamuna@yahoo.com