By IANS
New Delhi : The organisers of 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a pact Saturday to make the event a “Green Commonwealth Games”.
Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the games organising committee and president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), said that the tie-up would extend to the third Youth Commonwealth Games in Pune next year.
“This partnership will not just ensure the best ever Commonwealth Games but it will also make it a games with a conscience,” he said.
With environmental issues occupying centre stage these days, the UNEP has constituted a division that focuses attention on environment and sports.
“Environmental issues have become the third pillar in most games after sports and culture,” said Kalmadi.
The Delhi games organisers recognise that major sporting events also impact the environment in many ways like clearing land for setting up event sites, the need for large volumes of water and waste disposal.
The UNEP has certain standards for compliance that will have to be met before the stamp of organising a ‘green games’ is awarded. The various stakeholders are in the process of meeting these requirements.
As part of the environmental programme, Delhi and Pune, also home of Kalmadi, will look at issues like tree planting and anti-litter campaigns as well as use of renewable energy sources and efficient water management.
“With the help of UNEP, we will organise workshops and programmes that will help bring in the entire community to better understand issues such as green procurement, environment management as well as green accommodation,” said Kalmadi.