In a jolt to the preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered stay on construction of a parking lot near Siri Fort Sports Complex that threatened to gobble down 14 acres of green area. A bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to reconsider its proposal to clear the forest area and making way for parking space. Till then, status quo would be maintained, the court ordered. The case before the court was brought by a morning walker who pleaded to the court that as a temporary arrangement being made for the Commonwealth Games, the Government agencies were plundering a bounty of green wealth. Advocate ML Lahoty appearing for the petitioner said that in the name of organising an international sports event, the Government was destroying the green space of the area. The Government proposed to construct roads for VIP movement around the sports complex and this, according to Lahoty should never be made a guise to damage the green cover causing great difficulty to people who use the forest track for their morning strolls. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Amrendra Saran appearing for the Centre opposed the petition and said the Government was already working against deadlines. A stay order at this stage would hamper the project, he added. The petitioner argued there was no need to destroy the greenery for constructing the approach road and additional parking. "There is ample parking facility in the complex and additional parking facility is also available in and around Siri Fort Auditorium," it said. Apart from the main approach road, there is additional approach road between Asiad Village tower and Shahpur Jat and there is a lot of scope for expanding this approach road, the petition stated.