Commonwealth Games chief tries to allay security fears

Updated September 9, 2010 08:58:41

The lead-up to the Commonwealth Games in India has been marred by delays and claims of corruption and shoddy construction.

But the one thing that some visiting nations worry about most as "a high risk" for host city New Delhi is a terrorist attack.

Organisers say they are satisfied with the security arrangements but that is not a view shared by everyone.

Presenter: Jane Cowan in New Delhi
Speaker: Mike Hooper, CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation; Rahul Bedi, India correspondent for Jane's Defence Weekly; Daniel Canole, chef at New Delhi Shangri-La

JANE COWAN: In its official Commonwealth Games advice, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs warns there's a high risk of a terrorist attack in New Delhi. Although it's removed the word "imminent" from its warning, DFAT says it continues to receive reports about possible terrorist attacks against markets popular with foreigners. In a volatile region with a Maoist insurgency, the Kashmir dispute again flaring and Pakistan next door, there clearly are threats.

But with the ultimate decision time nearing for athletes and officials, the CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Mike Hooper, has sought to allay fears.

MIKE HOOPER: Certainly in and around the venues, the Games venues, the village etc, I'm confident they will be safe and secure. Obviously I can't speak for soft areas like downtown and all those sorts of things but again the presence of the security forces here; the Delhi police, the numbers, their plans, I think are adequate to deliver the safe and secure environment.

RAHUL BEDI: India's security record is not a very able or capable one.

JANE COWAN: Rahul Bedi is the Indian correspondent for the UK-based journal Jane's Defence Weekly.

RAHUL BEDI: I don't think the security measures are very adequate because the stadium has only been handed over recently to the police, in fact a few days ago, when the police needed at least a minimum of 45 days to carry out their security drills to install their various equipments. And some of the equipments haven't even been imported because of inefficiency and the contracts being issued too late in the day.

JANE COWAN: Rahul Bedi says organisers appear to be taking what he calls a battalion approach to security.

RAHUL BEDI: They're just going to pack the stadium and the various venues of the Games with a huge amount of police and paramilitary and hope that nothing goes wrong.

(sound of chef chopping)

DARREN CONOLE: Pick-up on table 43: one murgh biryani; one garlic naan. Yes? One tandoori chicken ...

JANE COWAN: Back at the Shangri-La, Darren Conole isn't about to interrupt his routine.

DARREN CONOLE: You know, I suppose you always have to be careful in volatile parts of the world but I really don't think that Delhi deserves what is being labelled. It's very easy to say "oh gee we better stay away from the markets" etc, but you can't do that if you're going to lead a normal life.

JANE COWAN: A normal life in an extraordinary part of the world.