Games venues missing loos?

Games venues missing loos?
PTI
NEW DELHI, AUG 15
No toilets around Commonwealth Games venues? With severe delays plaguing streetscaping works around CWG venues, authorities are now facing this embarrassing prospect.
The Delhi government had given contract to four firms to install street furnitures like toilets, kiosks, information boards, iron chairs and benches on a BOT (build, operate, transfer) basis in areas around the Games venues.
However, the companies are yet to start the work as the streetscaping projects are yet to be completed around most of the venues.
The government had, in fact, planned to install street furnitures in all the areas across Delhi where streetscaping has been carried out but due to time constraints the plan was shelved and instead it was decided to put up the facilities around the venues.
“We had given contract to the private firms to install the facilities on a BOT basis for next 15 years,” the official said.
Wary of time constraints, the firms have been told to install at least toilets in the areas around the Games venues after completion of the streetscaping works.
“We have told them to install the toilets first and then, if possible, the kiosks.”
Various information related to the Games, medical facilities as well as all basic information related to the city will be made available in the kiosks.
He said government will not invest any money on the street facilities and instead get a share of revenue to be generated by the companies from advertisement on the installations.
The firms which were given the contract include JCDecaux, Graphic Ads and a Hong Kong-based company. JCDecaux is an international company and has presence in 46 countries.
It has already installed 197 bus shelters in the NDMC areas during the last two years.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today apologised to the people of the city for inconvenience and difficulties arising out of the ongoing Commonwealth Games projects as well as the heaps of rubble lying on the roads across the capital.
“For the last three to four months, Delhiites had suffered due to the construction works undergoing in the city. I apologise to the citizens for this. But if we have to achieve something, then we have to sacrifice,” she said addressing an Independence Day function.
Her comments came after the city witnessed massive traffic snarls across all the arterial roads and widespread waterlogging following a spell of heavy rains.
Vehicular movement came to a virtual halt as motorists were stuck in jams on almost all the arterial roads across the capital. Officials said the drainage system in several areas had been choked with construction waste resulting in waterlogging.
A similar situation was witnessed in the city on July 7.
Although Dikshit had set a deadline of August 10 to clear the debris across the city, the agencies concerned failed to remove the rubble. The deadline to rid the city of construction waste has been extended to August 31.