‘CWG will change Delhi in a jiffy’

In her third term as Delhi's Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit has given meaning to change. Delhi, since she came to power in 1998, looks a completely different place. New ideas of urban development have been incubated. It is not that everything has worked, but Dikshit's government was seen to be busy doing something. In her first two terms, pollution has been fought by bringing in the green fuel: CNG. Campaigns against plastic and fire crackers have been carried forward through Bhagidari with citizens of Delhi, including school children. Now the Dikshit government is faced with the biggest challenge of completing major projects before the Commonwealth Games get flagged off in October 2010. With half completed stadia and dug up roads, currently, it all looks like a nightmare for the Delhi government; but Dikshit, who is personally supervising many of these projects, is confident of their completion. Delhi would be a different place after the games, she feels. Her worries, though, will not end even after the Games get over. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Sanjay Kapoor in Delhi

Is it true that organising the Commonwealth Games (CWG) is the toughest challenge that you handled since you became chief minister in 1998?
Yes and No. It's tough because it is time-bound. There are too many agencies involved in it. There are so many clearances and technical requirements that have to be sought with a lot of minute detailing which is required on a number of aspects. So as far as meticulous planning is concerned, it has been the toughest. It is a very sophisticated job and things have to meet the requisite parameters. The flooring has to be the right size, the tiles have to be the right size, the entry and exit points have to be right, and the transport system has to be good and smooth. People have to live there and moreover 8,000 athletes have to be ferried up and down all over the city, as the stadiums are not confined to one area. Shooting is at one end, then swimming at another and so on and so forth. So there was also a need to draw up a map for coordination and communication.

The preparations were supposed to be over a few months in advance? And why has it all got jammed at the end?
No, it only appears to be jammed. Everything will be ready by August and we will have the whole of September to do all the trials. The stadiums are ready and test games have already begun. Only the entry and exit points have to be completed. The media centre is ready. We may be just a month behind schedule and that is not much of a delay.

How do you think would CWG change Delhi?
Actually it will change Delhi in a jiffy. The changes you are seeing today would not have happened in at least the next 10 or 12 years. The CWG is not all about stadiums. It is about putting a whole system together - roads, housing facilities, transport etc. We would not have achieved so much, so fast without Delhi hosting the CWG. We will have 272km of roads by the time we finish the preparations. We have acquired new buses. Despite India being one of the largest members of the Commonwealth, it is the first time that we are hosting the games. The games are only for 15 days, but the legacy will remain for a long time to come.

Although you are not building new stadiums, the cost escalation in the construction activities has been very high. What are the reasons for this escalation?