Seepage woes at the Village

Teething problems at the Commonwealth Games Village seem to have no end. With just over five days left for the 'magnum opus', the officials are fighting against time, dengue and seepage.

Teething problems at the Commonwealth Games Village seem to have no end. With just over five days left for the 'magnum opus', the officials are fighting against time, dengue and seepage.

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The Delhi Government has now sought the help of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to help them out with the persistent seepage problems at various Games sites.

According to sources, out of the 34 towers in the Games Village 24 towers have double basements where water has accumulated, which can easily become a breeding ground for the dengue causing mosquitoes.

"The problem is acute in towers 10 to 34 as they have double basements. The seepage in the basement are from subsoil water, which is due to the proximity to the River Yamuna," said an official on condition of anonymity. He also added that though the pumps have been installed and we are draining out the water, it has become a regular affair.

Proximity to the River Yamuna is the reason for the seepage as the basements are hardly 50 feet away from it. Not only this, due to moisture in the Village, 17 of the lifts have become non-operational.

The health officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have now started spraying a special chemical called synthetic pyrethroid to kill the mosquitoes in the basements.

"We are carrying out fogging thrice a day to ensure the area is free of mosquitoes. We have also started spraying synthetic pyrethroid in the basements of the towers,” said V.K. Monga, chairman of the health committee, MCD.