The sorry state of BMC swimming pools

Opening of pool at Shivaji Park in Dadar, scheduled for May 15, will be delayed. This leaves only four BMC pools operational in the city during the summer vacationRESIDENTS of areas around Dadar who were looking forward to beating the heat by taking a plunge in BMC's Shivaji Park pool will have to wait a while longer.The civic body has said that the pool, which was supposed to open after renovation on May 15, will open only towards the end of this month and the new deadline may also not be met, if sources within the BMC are to be believed.The Shivaji Park pool in Dadar has been shut for more than two years as it has been under going renovation. The BMC officials claim that the May-end deadline is also not realisticDeputy Municipal Commissioner (Gardens) Suhas Karvande said, The Shivaji Park pool has been undergoing a renovation, which has been delayed. Also, there is an issue related to the land used for the aquarium there, which is pending in the Supreme Court. The work is in its final phase and the pool will be thrown open to the public at the end of this month.Adding that he wasn't aware about the deadline of May 15, Karvande said, We have dug borewell pumps nearby and have installed recycling plants to conserve water. We intend to install showers that will use less water.Senior BMC officials, however, claimed that the May-end deadline is also not realistic. It will be difficult to throw the pool open to the public even by May end as there is still some work left. Repairs worth Rs 50 crore are being undertaken, said an official.Reacting to the delay, BMC's standing committee chairperson Rahul Shewale said, The Dadar swimming pool should have been opened for public use this month itself. There is no use throwing it open after the summer vacation is over as many school- going kids use the pool.Mayor Shraddha Jadhav said, Every pool in the city should be opened for public use in summer and the officials should complete the repair work on time. It is not possible to allow people to use the pool when the repair work is on and, thus, it becomes necessary to complete repair and renovation work before summer sets in.Milind Mestry, a member of the Dadar swimming pool, said, It has been such a long time since we went there.u00a0The pool has been shut for more than two years and I know many children who like to go there during summer vacations. As kids, me and my friends also went to the Dadar pool every day during the summer. Others tooThe BMC pools at Chembur and Kandivli have also been shut for over three years for want of repairs. Water is being filled in the Kandivli swimming pool and it will be opened in a few days from now. The Chembur pool will take much longer to open as it has to undergo a complete renovation.Four functionalKarvande said four pools in Andheri, Mulund, Goregaon and Ghatkopar are functional. The renovation was completed on time in all these places and they have been opened for the use of members.A senior civic official, however, disputed this claim too. The pool in Mulund, which is said to be in operation, is not really in use. The mayor would have inaugurated it if it was in use, just like she did for the one at Andheri Sports Complex .Rs 50 croreWorth of repairs are being undertaken at Shivaji Park swimming poolThe BMC pools at Mulund...MembershipMembership in these pools costs citizens between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000. A 50 per cent concession is allowed for school-going children up to 12 years, municipal employees, retired municipal employees, councillors and citizens above 60 years of age....And at GhatkoparWorli poolThe swimming pool at Worli, meant for the use of policemen, has been functioning properly and has also been opened for the general public. Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Rajkumar Vhatkar said, It has never been shut down and is now used by the general public as well, after taking a membership.