The Hindu : New Delhi News : Yamuna activists write to UN environment chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Yamuna activists write to UN environment chief

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

To help limit adverse impact of hosting sporting event

NEW DELHI: In an effort to promote activities for the security and revival of the Yamuna, the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan -- a citizens’ forum to protect the river -- has written to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (Nairobi), Achim Steiner, to help limit the adverse environmental impact of hosting an international sporting event.

The United Nations Environment Programme recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Olympic Association for a “green” Commonwealth Games in 2010 in Delhi.

“The river is the lifeline of Delhi and is under considerable environmental stress with all the construction activities that is planned on the riverbed for hosting the Commonwealth Games,” said Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan convenor Manoj Misra.

Stating that the Commonwealth Games today is not just a sporting event but has become a mega event with which is associated national prestige and hence necessitating massive infrastructural constructions, often at the cost of the natural environment of the host cities.

Mr. Misra in his letter said: “With the signing of the MoU it is hoped that at least now the site for the Games Village would be relocated out of the river bed. For in the absence of such a move any talk of a ‘green’ Commonwealth Games in Delhi would be hollow talk. We hope that the good name of your organisation would not be allowed to be sullied by association with an act which is environmentally unsound.”

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