Officials of some foreign countries are promising not to put their sportspersons in harm’s way during Commonwealth Games amid mounting concerns about the dengue outbreak in Delhi.
The Commonwealth Games Committee officials of Australia, Canada, England and New Zealand have asked the Delhi government and the Organising Committee (OC) to do more to control the worst dengue outbreak in Delhi in the past decade.
The request has come after officials of Australia, New Zealand and England attended the Commonwealth Games Village soft launch on Thursday. “In a letter to the Delhi government and the OC, these officials have requested the city government and the OC to do more about waterlogging due to incessant rains and rise in Yamuna level,” said a source in the Delhi government.
“The officials of Australia, New Zealand, England and Canada have requested the government to ask its civic agencies to do more,” said an official adding that they have been informed in turn that the dengue outbreak is under control and all measures are been taken.
The Commonwealth Games, which have been dogged by controversies over corruption, missed deadlines, concerns about security, is now bothering participating nations with the dengue outbreak.
Meanwhile, New Zealand officials told reporters earlier this week they would have no hesitation pulling out if any security and health concerns were raised, while members of Australia’s track and field team were having second thoughts about competing, according to Australian media reports.
The governments of various participating countries have asked their citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution related to health and security while travelling to India for attending the Games”.