Deaths in games village- RTI HEARING ON 27th March

HEARING ON RTI AGAINST D.D.A. REGARDING DEATHS IN GAMES VILLAGE IS SHEDULED ON 27th March 2008 AT 10:30am AT C.I.C. OFFICE, ROOM NO.306, AUGUST KRANTI BHAVAN BUILDING, R.K.PURAM.

236 DAYS OF YAMUNA SATYAGRAHA

23rd March 2008

As announced earlier, Yamuna Satyagrah observed its 234, 235 and 236th day as Holika Dahan, Holi Milan and (World Water Day and Shahidi Divas) respectively.

While those of you who watch Dilli Aaj Tak may have seen the Holika Dahan Coverage on TV, around 150 people including college students (Youth For Justice), local villagers and Yamuna Satyagrahis led by Rajendra Bhai consigned the effigies of Yamuna Encroachers, Polluters and despoilers (DDA, DMRC and Govt of Delhi) to flames over a pyre made of cattle dung cakes only (It was also the World Forestry Day on 21 March 2008). Holi Milan was observed in a festive spirit on 22.3.08 at the Satyagrah Sthal with lots of gaity, gulal and 'herbal' paint (in the words of Kamakhya, the Yamuna film maker), which actually turned out to be hard to remove black grease ! But all in fun and frolic. Prof Vikram Soni joined the group towards late in the evening. Today (23.3.08) a large group met again at the Satyagrah Sthal early in the forenoon, when a Havan homage to 'water' as well as to the 'martyres' (It being the Martyres Day too) was organised.

Copy of a letter (received by Rajendra Bhai) from Hon'ble CM of Delhi sent to Sri Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker Lok Sabha became a subject matter of intense discussion and animated discourse on account of deliberate falsehood reiterated by the CM in her letter justifying the construction of Games Village in the river bed on the grounds that Akshardham stands there and that MOEF after detailed investigations gave three clearance letters for it. (Why were 3 clearance letters needed if all was in order and proper, is something which clearly she has chosen to ignore in her letter?). It was agreed that it matters little as to how many people (Delhites) actually participate actively in the Satyagrah as long as the endeavour for achieving the truth for river Yamuna remains the goal.

The Yamuna Satyagrah marches on....

IS THERE ANYONE LISTENING?

SINCE LAST 15 DAYS WE ARE TELLING THE WORLD THAT SCORES OF LABOURERS HAVE DIED INSIDE THE GAMES VILLAGE, WE DO HAVE VIDEOS INDACATING THE SAME.....STILL NO RESPONSE FROM AUTHORITIES.

NEWS IN CHINA POST

HUNGER STRIKE BY "YOUTH FOR JUSTICE" AGAINST DEATHS IN GAMES VILLAGE

DAY LONG PROTEST AND HUNGER STRIKE BY “YOUTH FOR JUSTICE” AGAINST DEATHS IN GAMES VILLAGE AND INHUMAN TREATMENT WITH LABOURERS
9th March2008, New Delhi

Today a group of students and professionals sat on a hunger strike in front of Games Village protesting against deaths in the construction site of Games Village. There are talks of deaths inside games village since last one month and recently some investigations by Youth for Justice revealed that living conditions inside the campus are pathetic which were later proved by one of the national news paper and death of one of the labourer “Shyamal” also got confirmed.
These reports and investigation leads to serious doubt that more than 30 people have died inside the campus.
“Youth for Justice” has conducted an investigation into the matter and have interviewed some of the relatives of labourers who died inside the games village, YFJ have also interviewed some labourers who have left the job because of the deaths, have interviewed some of the labourers who are still working inside and who themselves have seen some dead bodies, have interviewed some of the local residents who have interacted with labourers and who have information on the situation inside. As nobody was allowed to enter the campus, this was the only source of information that we had.
All these facts are indicating towards the fact that labourers are living in an inhuman and pathetic condition inside the campus causing deadly disease leading to deaths of these poor migrant labourers. Saddest part of incident is that both the Govt. and contractor are hiding the facts and are trying to cover up the case.
YFJ has very strong reasons to believe that everything is not alright inside the four walls of this construction site and we strongly demand an immediate independent enquiry into the matter.
We also believe that life, liberty and dignity of these labourers are of equal importance and we demand that it should be maintained and respected. Clean, hygienic working and living environment, proper treatment and medical care, compensation etc. are basic rights of any labourer and that should be protected at all cost.
We also demand that a comprehensive list of all those who have died or who have attacked by the deadly virus should be made public.

We also demand that guilty contractor should be booked under the law.
This is our first step and in absence of any immediate action by the authority, we will intensify our protest.

also visit:

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/ngos-ask-dikshit-to-look-into-games-village-workers-plight_10026412.html

ANOTHER WITNESS OF DEATHS

IN

GAMES VILLAGE

"YOUTH FOR JUSTICE" INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION IS ON

ONE PERSON FROM PURNIA DISTRICT OF BIHAR DIED INSIDE GAMES VILLAGE 15 DAYS AGO

WATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEO:

JOIN US THIS SUNDAY 9TH MARCH 2008 AT 8:00 AM ONWARDS FOR A DAY LONG PROTEST AND HUNGER STRIKE AGAINST DEATHS IN GAMES VILLAGE.

ON NH24 NEAR AKSHARDHAM TEMPLE, GAMES VILAGE SITE MAIN GATE

DEAD BODY OF SHYAMAL

LATEST UPDATE

Following the report by "Youth for Justice" Eminent journalist and diplomat Sri Kuldip Nayar and Magsaysay awardee social activist Arvind Kejriwal have joined local villagers in petitioning the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) against the appalling living conditions of labourers at the impugned site for the Commonwealth Games Village in the river bed which has resulted in spread of meningitis amongst the latter resulting in deaths ofmany of them. The complaint to the NHRC was delivered this morning for urgent inquiry and action in the matter against all relevant authorities including the DDA, MCD, Labour Commissioner and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) which have failed to ensure that the living conditions of labour at the site is hygeinic and secure.

OPEN SECRET OF GAMES VILLAGE

SCORES OF LABOURS FEARED DIED IN

GAMES VILLAGE?

LIVING CONDITIONS ARE PATHETIC, CAUSING SPREAD OF DEADLY VIRUS: LABOURS

HUNDREDS OF LABOURS HAVE LEFT THE JOB

PROJECT UNDER ANOTHER SEVERE CRISIS

TWO DEATHS CONFIRMED THROUGH THESE INTERVIEWS

YFJ Exclusive

• 
  
  Interviews with labours working in games village confirming deaths of labours due to deadly diesease and accidents.





• 
  
  Interviews with labours who have left the work due to fear of death and untimely payment by contractor





• 
  
  Interview with relative of one of the labour "shyamal" who died because of the disease





• 
  
  death certificate of "shyamal" confirming the death due to meningitis

After Hindustan Times broke the news on 4th march about whisper of death at games village site, "Youth for Justice" decided to further investigate the issue.WE HAVE IMMEDIATELY FORMED A THREE MEMBER COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO THE MATTER.

we have spent last 36 hours interacting with labours, trying to find out facts. it was never easy as most of the labours are inside the campus and nobody is allowed to get into the campus. security guards are trying their level best to keep everyone away from the campus. we went to games village site and tried to interact with labours and other workers. the kind of secrecy that is being maintained at the site definately makes it appear as if it is not site for games village but of some nuclear plant.

We interviwed some of the labours who are living near the site and who have left the work inside games vallige because of the outbreak of some deadly diesease inside the fortitfied campus. many of the labours have left the work and we have also interviewed two labours who are still working inside.

what these labours have told us is horrifying and unbelievable, and we decided to share it woth all.

we have decided to put all the information that we have collected on our blog.

our investigation is still on and we will keep on updating the blog time to time.

Here we are putting the information that we have received as it is.

VIDEO OF INTERVIEW WITH LABOUR WORKING INSIDE GAMES VILLAGE , HE HIMSELF HAS SEEN ONE DEADBODY AND HAVE HEARD OF ATLEAST 20 DEATHS IN LAST TWO MONTHS

INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF THE RELATIVE OF "SHYAMAL" WHO DIED DUE TO MENINGINTIS OUTBREAK IN THE CAMPUS AND HE HAS HEARD OF SCORS OF DEATHS INSIDE THE CAMPUS

DEATH CERTIFICATE OF "SHYAMAL" IS ALSO AVAILABLE WITH "YOUTH FOR JUSTICE"

death ceritificate of "shyamal" clearly mention the cause of death

interview with sister of "shyamal" labour who died due to meningitis

Interview with another labour who works in the games village, HERE HE SHARES THAT LABOURS HAVE EVEN GONE FOR A STRIKE AGAINST DEATHS OF THEIR CO-WORKERS

Interview with some labours who ahve left the work due to fear of deaths

R.T.I. FILED BY SHRI DIWAN SINGH JI TO D.D.A.

"YOUTH FOR JUSTICE" TEAM IS INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE FURTHER AND WE WILL KEEP UPDATING OUR BLOG AND WE WILL KEEP SHARING WHATEVER INFORMATION WE GET.

SOME MORE PICTURES AND VIDEOS WOULD BE ADDED IN FEW HOURS.

YOU ARE REQUESTED TO SPREAD THE NEWS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN. YOU CAN USE THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HERE IF YOU MENTION THE ORIGINAL SOURCE.

Whispers of Death at 2010 Games hub

Whispers of death at 2010 Games hub
(Hindustan Times 04-03-08)
Avishek G Dastidar and Vidya Krishnan, Hindustan Times
Email Author
New Delhi, March 04, 2008
The construction site of the Commonwealth Games Village on the Yamuna riverbed has been hit by an outbreak of a deadly brain fever. There is talk of deaths and panic, and frightened workers want to leave for home.Appalling hygiene at Village construction site; brain fever time-bomb ticks.“Nine workers from the construction site have come to us with meningitis in the past 10 days,” said Dr V.R. Sood, Medical Superintendent at Bimla Devi Hospital in Mayur Vihar II, the closest health centre. “So many cases from a single, enclosed space is worrying.”This year, Delhi has had 109 cases of meningitis — from all across the city, with a population of over 1.25 crore; and 13 deaths.Most workers are from Bihar and UP and live in cramped and unhygienic quarters at the construction site. Meningitis bacteria travels through air riding tiny, invisible droplets on exhaled breath. “An overcrowded, unhygienic and enclosed area fuels the outbreak,” said Dr Bir Singh, professor of community medicine at AIIMS. Infection follows high fever, which can turn fatal if not treated aggressively.Rintu, a worker from Malda, Bengal, told Hindustan Times, “The fever is spreading fast inside the camp. People are falling unconscious. We are scared.” Sheesh Mohammad, a worker from Bihar, said: “Doctors at the camp are giving medicine for simple fever. But this doesn’t look like a simple disease.”Panic on Yamuna bank, labourers fleeing ‘curse of angry river’Some workers even attributed the outbreak to a curse. “Jamnaji bali maang rahi hain (The river is seeking sacrifice),” said Shankar, a worker from Bihar.Workers claimed people have died and even named some victims, but HT was unable to verify them independently with the neighbourhood hospital or MCD.The MCD sent its officials to inspect the site, which happened in the presence of HT reporters. The officials picked up blood samples for testing, but they were certain of the outbreak. “After inspection, all inhabitants of the camp were given 500 mg of ciprafloxacin as a antidote for meningococcemia,” said Dr V.K. Monga, chairman of the health committee, MCD.The corporation suspects the construction site has been hit by meningococcemia, which has been reported from other parts of the city as well. Meningococcemia is a strain of meningitis and can also be fatal.The company denied the outbreak. “Our officials at the site tell us that all the claims of outbreak, deaths and poor living conditions are false,” said Anupama Chopra, a spokesperson for the Emaar-MGF, which is developing the project.But the corporation found living conditions unhygienic. “Sanitation facilities for the workers are inadequate. We have asked them to improve the conditions at the camp,” said Dr Monga.

30 DEATHS INSIDE GAMES VILLAGE IN DELHI

ITS URGENT (SAT. 1st MARCH 2008)

we have this information from labours working inside games village and soon we will provide videos and other documents of our interviews with these labours.

30 LABOURS HAVE DIED INSIDE UPCOMING GAMES VILLAGE IN LAST 10 DAYS

DEATHS HAVE TAKEN PLACE UNDER MYSTERIOUS CONDITIONS

LABOURS HAVE STARTED MIGRATING FROM FROM THE SITE

GAMES VILLAGE PROJECT FACING HUGE CRISIS