All is not well at Games Village

All is still not well at the Commonwealth Games village as a snake scare compounded the fears of the athletes who are staying at the village.

African nations have joined the chorus of discontent over the ‘unlivable’ village. The strongest criticism came from the South African envoy on Sunday after a snake was spotted there.

“We can’t go and stay till things are fine. If snakes are found we can’t ask our teams to stay there,” South Africa’s High Commissioner Harris Mbulelo Mejeke said.

Although South Africa is not planning to withdraw, the latest embarrassment comes just after the Indian hockey team complained that there was no water in their loos.

Nearly 1,100 athletes and team officials from Norfolk Islands, Canada, Kenya, Nigeria, Scotland, Canada, Tanzania, Lesotho, Rwanda, Wales, England, Isle of Man, Jersey, Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago and British Virgin Islands arrived here Sunday.

Some 60 members of the Scottish team and 50 of the Welsh contingent finally moved into accommodation at the Games Village on Sunday, but were unhappy with the facilities.

?We had arrived here earlier and had it not been the case our athletes would have a tough time in the Games Village. There are still a few things that are needed to be fixed on a daily basis,? said Scotland?s chef de mission Jon Doig, who had arrived here last week.

Taking at dig at the organisers, he said that it was just not good enough for people who have had seven years for praparations.

Meanwhile, security personnel were out in force on Sunday near the Commonwealth Games Village and other venues as the authorities claimed to have put in place a four-tier security net around the areas to be frequented by the athletes.

Thousands of police personnel, along with the paramilitary forces, were seen outside the venues and along routes which the athletes are expected to travel.

Only those with authorised passes are allowed into restricted areas.

Barricades have been put up both at the entry of the Games Village and also on roads leading to the Village.

Boom barriers and cement blocks have also been placed at the entry of the Games venues. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) were in place to keep an eye from the sky on the venues and to guard against any airborne attack, he said.

Forty per cent of Delhi Police personnel, currently posted in various police stations, have been deployed across the city for Commonwealth Games security.

The police stations will work with one inspector, instead of the usual three, during the Oct 3-14 Games, an official said.

Additional forces have been deployed at busy market areas, Metro stations, airport and various tourist destinations, he said.