Rajinder Singh's protest against Commonwealth Games village

Chandigarh, July 20 (UNI) Magsaysay awardee Rajinder Singh who heads the Tarun Bharat Sangh today said that he was firm to launch his 'satyagrah' in New Delhi from August eight to protest against the governments decision to construct the Commonwealth Games village in the Indraprasth area close to the Yamuna bed.

"Our river waters are meant to be protected and not exploited", he said while addressing a media conference here.

The acquafer near Indraprasth is the largest of its kind in asia and has the largest storage of water, he claimed. Forth per cent of Delhi's water needs are being met by this acquafer, he added.

Asked to specify his objection to the village, Mr Rajinder Singh claimed that after the Commonwealth Games are over it could well be sold to private companies. These companies which may include soft drink companies or those providing bottled water will exploit this water source to the limit and when it dries up they will shift their units elsewhere, he claimed while listing out places where soft drink companies had closed their bottling plants after 'exploiting' the water sources to the maximum limit.

Mr Rajinder Singh said that he had suggested to the Delhi government that the Games village could be located at Dwarakaji near the IGI airport or Lodhi Estate where the DDA has colonies and land.

UNI