By Alistair Scrutton NEW DELHI, June 21 (Reuters) - Indian conservation and environmental groups are opposing plans to build the 2010 Commonweath Games village on the flood plain of a sacred river, warning millions of people would be at risk from flooding. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) said that New Delhi authorities' plan to build a high-rise games village by the Yamuna river, which runs through the capital, would also damage the river's eco-system and reduce scarce water supplies. Environmentalists say the construction of the games village, which would house more than 8,000 people, is illegal and would contribute to clogging up the river bed and expose city dwellers to serious flooding during monsoons. "The opinion among the environmentalists and other NGO groups is that the proposed building would jeopardize the safety of millions and would only help the building lobby and use for 10 days sporting events of little importance," INTACH said in a statement on Thursday. The 1,370 km (850 miles) river flows from the Himalayas to India's plains, where it joins the Ganges. By the time it passes through New Delhi it is one of the most polluted in India, clogged with silt and stinking of sewage. India wants the Commonweath Games to boost its image as a global powerhouse. The games may also provide rich pickings for real estate developers. But the campaign by INTACH and environmental groups against the Commonwealth Games plan is the latest blow for India's sports plans. The Indian capital is to stage the 2010 Commonwealth Games at an estimated cost of 70 billion rupees ($1.7 billion). Delhi beat the Canadian city of Hamilton in the bid for the games. Earlier this year, India's sports minister Mani Shankar Aiyar criticised the holding of the games in India, saying it was an attempt to improve the country's global image but of little relevance to the common man.
