IOA says there’ll be enough funds to beautify Mumbai, build infrastructure and still have spare change to send to Geneva.
The pitch was conceived, presented and created on behalf of IOA and the sports ministry by sports management giant Kaldix International. Kaldix is a testament to privatisation in India and is co-owned by Kalmadi and Dikshit, the grandchildren of Suresh Kalmadi and Sheila Dikshit. That apart, Mumbai celebrated this win with unusual fervour. Jubilant fans flooded the streets and shops stayed open till late, allowing an evening of celebration.
In a goodwill gesture, Maharashtra's longest reigning Home Minister, R.R. Patil, relaxed the night-time curfew and allowed restaurants and bars to remain open way beyond the compulsory closing time of 7.30 p.m.
An impromptu concert was held to celebrate the win. The highlight was the performance of a new band featuring Amar-Akbar-Anthony, the three sons of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The trio was accompanied by an exuberant Asha Bhosle, who holds the world record for 'The youngest singer in a sari'. She is a few years away from her next record, of 'The youngest singer in a wheelchair'. The concert was attended by Bollywood royalty. Amitabh Bachchan came straight from the set of his show Kaun Banega Crorepati-Chatwarinsh (40th). Salman arrived fresh from the success of Dabangg-12, and spoke of his plans for Dabangg-13, saying it would be unlike any Salman film ever made. It will have a writer and a director.
As the sun rises the next day, the hunt for a site to host the Games will begin in earnest. IOA has requested the state government for land. But land is scarce in Mumbai. Veteran politician Sharad Pawar has offered to reclaim all the city's beaches to create 800 to 1,000 acres, by extending the city westwards into the Arabian Sea. This would have a threefold advantage. First, there would be more real estate. Second, Mumbai would be closer to Dubai, which could be made accessible by a sea link he would build at a cost that could escalate at Rs.3,000 crore per day. And finally, India's western coast would become difficult to infiltrate, as Mumbai would be further away from Karachi.
Other Mumbai politicians have suggested clearing Asia's largest slum, Dharavi, to make way for the Games. Dharavi is a 500-acre real estate in the city's centre that houses 60,000 structures, 1,000,000 people, and is a hive of workshops with an annual turnover of over $1 billion. The Opposition has objected to shifting a million people to house 10,000 athletes, and suggested an alternative. Another piece of real estate in south Mumbai, which can not only house 10,000 athletes but also host all equestrian, track, aquatic and outdoor events, by dislodging just four people who live on a property called Antilla.
In preparation for the event, a larger airport is being planned. Mumbai's current airport is in densely-populated Sahar. A new airport has been mooted where space and security is not a problem. Taking a page out of Bangalore and Hyderabad, a site is being sought outside city limits. The only vacant land on Mumbai's outskirts is in Rann of Kutch, 1,215 km away. All international travellers will land and clear immigration at a spanking new airport near Bhuj and then drive for 19 hours to reach the city. Not bad, considering that it is just a couple of hours more than what it usually takes to get to Mumbai's airport on a normal day.
Which brings me to cost. It is going to be huge. But the city is not worried. IOA has assured us that between sponsorships, government funding and private investors, there will be sufficient money to build infrastructure of international standards, beautify the city, and still have spare change to send to Geneva. There is only one problem. There may be no money left to train India's athletes.
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