With little time remaining before the Oct. 4 start of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, the sporting event’s already-escalated $1.6-billion construction project is straining to reach the finish line. Teams from more than 60 U.K.-linked nations are set to arrive next month to test out venues, occupy new sports villages and use upgraded infrastructure. But stadium roofs are leaking, and work on most of the 17 new and rehabbed arenas and other projects is months behind schedule and has questionable procurement arrangements, officials say.
With the overall price tag of the games now estimated at $2.3 billion, the cost is “a matter of serious economic irregularity,” says Vijay Goel, leader of India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. “It is a tragedy that in the name of speedy construction, many procedural requirements have been blatantly violated in tenders and bidding.” The sporting event is the largest ever to be held in India, with thousands of athletes and up to 100,000 more spectators expected.