Aal Izz Well

“We the Indians are ready to host the commonwealth Games 2010 & welcome the world to help us show India’s unique hospitality. We will provide facilities unheard of in many games villages around the world” … This is what the OC (used to be organizing committee, last time I heard) officials boasted few weeks earlier. They have kept up their promise. Athletes were allotted apartments in the village and indeed found facilities unheard or unseen in any games villages around the world. Laborers had used these apartments for defecation. Stray dogs were feasting on the faeces. Clearly, the most unique hospitality the athletes could not have got anywhere in the world.

 

Athletes from New Zealand, Scotland, Canada and Ireland have praised the Games village as ‘unlivable’. Where else in the world could they experience the famous ‘unlivable’ environment? Our laborers and stray dogs would never be able to appreciate the value of living in ‘unlivable’ environment. No wonder foreign tourists appreciate India and its heritage better.  

A Canadian newspaper writes, "Monsoon rains, a dengue fever epidemic, car bombs, a collapsing pedestrian bridge, corrupt construction rackets, traffic Armageddon, indifferent politicians and a filthy athletes' village that does not even have proper plumbing yet. Or wiring. Or paint on the walls,".

As rightly pointed out by Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee (CGOC) secretary-general Lalit Bhanot the standards of cleanliness and hygiene differ from one person to the other. What one thought was clean may not appear that clean to others. The same way, what one person feels as filthy may be clean to others. We are surrounded by faeces, public urination, stray dogs, pan stains etc and we feel this is clean and hygienic. We expect the visiting athletes appreciate it as much as we do. 

The same paper continues to write, "India's showcase moment is at hand. The entire world is watching. But what the entire world is seeing - at least so far - looks more like the travails of a First World wannabe nation still struggling with its lingering Third World problems." 

To this Lalit Bhanot clarified. “We have told the Chefs de Mission that the level of hygiene and cleanliness at the Games Village will be upgraded within 36 hours.” In all likelihood, all facilities would be upgraded from travails of First World War to travails of Second World War in the next 36 hours.

Australia's swimming coach Leigh Nugent says hygiene at the Commonwealth Games Village in Delhi is a bigger concern for him than the terror threats.

He quotes, "You can go to a Western-style country and still get sick, but on the subcontinent they have bugs we have no resistance to. Things like vomiting and diarrhea can run rampant through a team, wreaking havoc on months of preparation and destroying medal chances. So you have to be extra vigilant and make sure you have as many preventative measures in place as you can.” The best preventative measure I can think of is to outsource participation. We can have people from India and other Asian countries participate on behalf of Australians. 

Leigh Nugent continues, “All the Australian swimmers have been given hand-sanitizing gel, probiotics to boost immunity and long-sleeved shirts, long trousers and bug repellent plus mosquito zappers to guard against diseases such as dengue and malaria. And even when you're having a shower, you should keep your mouth closed.” Looks like Australians seem to be missing air filters/purifiers. We have many viruses/bacteria/bugs which enter through the nose.

Leigh Nugent goes on, “We're living in the village with probably 7000 or 8000 other people and not everyone has good hygiene, and you don't know who's touched the door in front of you. Touching things, you can pick up bugs that you're not used to in our normal environment and next thing you're sick and out of action. All of these bugs are invisible, so you have to be ultra-careful.” This is the same challenge which astronauts face when they are visiting some unknown planet. All visiting athletes should be provided with space suits. This would help provide the same level of protection as astronauts would get.

In view of the short time available for the whole cleaning process, OC members could consider sprinkling “Yamunajal” (sister concern of Gangajal) to purify the whole Games village. There is a plenty of it available for this purpose now.

The silver lining is that Shah Rukh Khan is expected to attend the CWG opening ceremony. We are surely showcasing out best to the world. Its time to say “Aall iz well”