Global Games event: September 2010

Commonwealth games deploy Langur monkey for security

Commonwealth games deploy Langur monkey for security

Delhi authorities are to deploy a contingent of langurs -- a large type of monkey -- at Commonwealth Games venues to help chase away smaller simians from the sporting extravaganza.

From Wednesday, 10 langurs will be put on duty outside Games venues in the Indian capital, with the boxing and hockey stadiums seen as particularly vulnerable to monkey misbehavior, an official said.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has a regular team of 28 langurs which are used to scare away their weaker brethren in VIP areas of the city, but 10 more have been brought in from the neighbouring state of Rajasthan.

Four of them will be posted outside the boxing complex with their handlers, while another four will patrol the hockey complex. Two have been kept in reserve to respond in the event of an emergency.

"They are there for the monkey problem. They will be moving outside the stadiums," Devender Prasad, an inspector from the enforcement department of the NDMC, told AFP.

While 100,000 security guards have been deployed to counter potential threats from militants, authorities here have turned to rented to thwart any monkey threat to the starting on Sunday.

Monkeys are a menace in some parts of the Indian capital, especially east Delhi, and one such attack in 2007 led to the death of the then deputy mayor S S Bajwa who fell from a terrace and eventually succumbed to injuries.

The grey langur, a giant monkey with a black face, is a popular antidote to the monkey threat and the (NDMC) is using the old trick to scare away the primates.

The langurs are a common feature in some of the office buildings in Delhi and most of the trainers hail from the state of Rajasthan.

Apart from monkeys, rats are a major concern in the city but the Municipal Corporation of Delhi launched a drive, armed with 600 rat traps and 100kg of rat-killers, to clear the venues of the rodents.

Delhi is also reeling under a dengue fever outbreak with more than 3,000 cases reported so far this year.

Stagnant pools at some of the Games venues were found breeding mosquitoes and the organisers released mosquito-eating fish in the water at the Games Village and are carrying out daily fogging there

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi: Some pictures from commonwealth which missed the Media eyes 5

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi: Some pictures from commonwealth which missed the Media eyes 2

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi: Some pictures from commonwealth which missed the Media eyes -4

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi: Some pictures from commonwealth which missed the Media eyes 2

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi: Some pictures from commonwealth which missed the Media eyes -3

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi: Some pictures from commonwealth which missed the Media eyes 2

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi: Some pictures from commonwealth which missed the Media eyes

Hop-on, hop-off buses for CWG (HOHO Buses)

Hop-on, hop-off buses

As the Commonwealth Games is at the peak, the first hop-on-hop-off bus service was flagged off by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday, Sep 27 to offer Commonwealth Games visitors “perfect introduction” to Delhi.

The bus will ply in all the important tourist destinations including monuments, museums and popular markets.

“The bus service will take visitors across the city. It is a very special service and I hope people will like it,” Ms. Dikshit said.

Modelled with best facilities, the starting point of the hop-on-hop-off service will be the Baba Kharag Singh Marg in Connaught Place.

All the 14 ‘Hoho’ buses are spacious, air-conditioned and have on-board entertainment facilities. Every bus has a guest relations executive who will give tourists information about all the sites which are part of the tour.

Ms. Dikshit said the number of buses may be increased in future depending on the response of tourists.

The ‘Hoho’ service is a joint venture between DTTDC, Prasanna Purple Mobility Solutions Pvt Ltd and Urban Mass Transit Company Ltd (UMTC).

“Hoho buses follow a loop system, which is organised in such a way that these buses continuously move on a fixed route all day long. So one can board or get off a bus at any of the earmarked

points on the way,” said another official.

Some pictures from commonwealth which missed the Media eyes

SRK gives a positive message for CWG

Bad news for schoolchildren. With schools having to close during the Commonwealth Games in October, summer vacations will become shorter this year.

The Delhi Govt has decided to keep the schools closed during the upcoming 2010 Commonwealth Games. The decision has been taken so that traffic congestion can be managed during that time.Delhi has been busy creating Commonwealth Games infrastructure, roads, metro rail links, etc for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. however, traffic congestion is something which has till now found no solutions. You go out on some of the most common roads in Delhi, and you can remain stuck for hrs during peak times. In an effort to bring down the congestion on roads, Delhi Govt has now decided to keep the schools in Delhi closed for the entire duration of Commonwealth Games. For students, this would like seem like Winter Holidays, which generally start in Dec, has started early.

Commonwealth Games are being held from 3rd of Oct to 14th Oct, that is from Sun to next week’s Thursday. So, from Oct 1st to Oct 17th, Delhi school kids will have a holiday. Maybe, it’s time for them to start planning their holidays from now. In return hiowever, they can expect a shorter summer vacation next year.
Most schools have decided to shorten the summer break by a week to accommodate the extra holidays from October 1 to 17 later this year. A shorter break in this extreme heat may not please students but there’s some relief in store. Schools may give less homework considering the duration of the vacations. Schools have to close for more than two weeks during the Games. Since they close for Dussehra for a week or 10 days in October, they were required to accommodate an extra week of holiday in their academic calendar. ‘‘We are adjusting that extra week of holidays, in addition to the Dussehra break in October, by cutting down on the summer vacations,’’ said Ameeta Mulla Wattal, principal, Springdales School, Pusa Road, where vacations will start from May 16 instead of May 8 like last year. Gyan Bharati School, Saket, is largely following the schedule provided by the government. It will close on May 15 and reopen on June 28. ‘‘The government has made it compulsory for all schools to shut down during the Games. So we are mostly following the calendar provided by them. They wanted schools to reopen on June 26 but as it is a Saturday, we will resume classes on June 28,’’ said director R C Shekhar. Lata Vaidyanathan, principal, Modern School, Barakhamba Road, said: ‘‘We have shortened the summer break by a week. Though we usually close down for summer from May 7 every year, this year we will break for vacation from May 15.’’ Schools have to complete at least 210 working days in one academic session. So many schools are even keeping an option of extending or truncating the winter vacation depending on the weather. L V Sehgal, principal, Bal Bharati School, Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, said: ‘‘We have shortened the summer vacations by six days. The winter break may get slightly shorter if the need arises.’’ So It's really a bad news for making long holiday trips

CWG Lanes Rules and effective working

Provision of CWG Lanes

Delhi Traffic Police to provide dedicated lanes on all identified routes.

Dedicated lanes will be provided from the Airport to the Games Village and Games family hotels.

Dedicated lanes will also be provided from Games Village to competition venues.

As Games Family Hotels are located

Management of CWG Lanes

CWG lanes will have a distinct identity by marking the roads with a distinct colour and Games Logo.

The lanes will generally be on extreme right except on certain stretches.

Intersection management –The games traffic will be facilitated by manual regulation of traffic at important intersections.

Duration –The lanes will be operational throughout the Games period.

Time of Operation will be notified on daily basis depending on the schedule of events.

MODALITIES OF GAMES LANE

It has been decided that at most of the roads Games lane will be along the Central Verge (bothsides) exept at a few places.

Arrows will be painted every 200 meters.

Base of the lane will be dark blue. The logos of CWG will be in white and there will be yellow line on both sides.

Where ever there is a lane change, it will be marked as lane changing zone, left to right or right to Left.

Lane changing zones will have signages at four different stages.

Regulation & Enforcement of CWG Lanes

Deployment of manpower

Traffic officers

Lane monitors

Motorcycle patrolling

Volunteers

Mass awareness campaign through media.

SMS alert service

Web Site

Newspaper, TV & Radio.

Face book and Twitter

Mode of segregation.

Road markings and Signages.

Physical segregation with bollards & barricades etc. where necessary.

Use of onsite & mobile public address system.

Punitive Measures

Notification for fine of Rs. 2000/ impounding of vehicle under the existing legal provisions for enforcing lane segregation.

Traffic dossier during Commonwealth Games

ASSESSMENT

Large number of dignitaries and invitees would arrive to attend the Opening & Closing Ceremonies and other events at JLN Sports Complex and at other venues respectively.

Thousands of spectators and guests from across the world will witness these mega events.

This generates a massive volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.Elaborate arrangements are required to be made to regulate traffic in and around the JLN Sports Complex and other venues.

OBJECTIVES

To ensure seamless movement for all games related traffic including VIP movements.

To allow the normal city traffic with minimal dislocation.

Parking and traffic circulation arrangements at all venues, including media centre,

airports, railway stations, ISBTs, hotels and places of tourists interest etc.

Promoting use of public transport.

Development and operation of Public Awareness Programme.

Traffic Management Plan for Games Traffic

Dedicated Commonwealth Games lane.

Routes:-

Airport to Games Village.

Games Village to Competition Venues.

Games Family Hotels to Competition Venues (via Central Spine).

Park & Ride and Park & Walk schemes.

Route and Traffic diversion for road events.

Drop off & Pick-up points for spectators.

Pedestrian corridors to venues.