New Delhi, July 30 - The Supreme Court Thursday ruled that the Commonwealth Games village, meant to accommodate over 8,000 athletes from 71 countries, is not being built on the Yamuna riverbed or floodplain.

A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan gave the verdict, dismissing a Delhi High Court judgement of November 2008 and removing all uncertainties over the ongoing construction of the Games village.

'The observation and the conclusion of the Delhi High Court that the site in question is on a riverbed cannot be sustained. The high court disregarded and ignored material scientific literature and the opinion of experts and scientific bodies, which have categorically held that the Commonwealth Games Village site is not on a riverbed or the floodplain,' said the bench.

The bench, which also included Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice B.S. Chauhan, added: 'Further in view of the change in the land use, which was approved way back in 1997 by the Yamuna Committee and the NEERI permitting the Delhi Development Authority to use the land for the public and semi-public purposes, the contrary conclusion of the high court is liable to be set aside.'

The bench set aside all roadblocks to the development of the Commonwealth Games Village on a joint lawsuit by the central government and the Delhi Development Authority, challenging the Delhi High Court ruling which, however, had not halted the construction but ordered formation of a panel headed by Nobel laureate R.