**The Supreme Court in India has lifted restrictions on construction work at the site of next year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi.**The court overruled a Delhi High Court order that had put the restrictions in place because of environmental worries.
Officials have warned that the country could miss out on hosting the games unless construction work gains pace.
They argued that a dispute over the building of an athletes’ village in Delhi needed to be speedily resolved.
Critics say that improvements to infrastructure in the city are moving at an excruciatingly slow pace.
They argue that construction work on several stadiums due to be used in the games has been seriously delayed.
Games organisers plan to build the athletes’ village next to the River Yamuna.
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the government had observed “due process of the law” by issuing notice of its intention to begin construction work as long ago as September 1999, when it invited suggestions and objections from citizens and various organisations.
A petition challenging the construction activities was filed in 2007. The petition alleged that that construction activities were being carried out on the river bed and the flood plain of the Yamuna river.
“The High Court should not have entertained the petition at all,” the Supreme Court ruling said.