Mulund swimming pool to remain shut for two more years

A BMC officer in charge of the pool said that since its inception in 1985, the pool has undergone no major maintenance work

MUMBAI: The members of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi staged a protest outside the Kalidas swimming pool at the Priyadarshi Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in Mulund West, demanding it be open to the public at the earliest. The pool has been for over a year due to renovations.

The members of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi staged a protest outside the Kalidas swimming pool on July 11

‘Ever since the lockdown ended, the pool authorities have been giving us several reasons -- such as maintenance, tile repair, chlorination issues and several other problems -- for its closure,” said Atul Prabhu, a resident of Mulund.

As the swimming pool is closed, over 40 children and adults were forced to enrol at far-off pools in Thane or Chembur. “It takes about 30 to 40 minutes for us to travel to the pool in Thane, while it would have taken only 10 minutes to reach the one in Mulund,” added Prabhu, who travels to and fro for his 13-year-old son every day. “My son participates in state-level championships, so he cannot afford to skip his practice. We have held six to seven meetings so far to get the pool opened. They would open it for a while and then shut it again for a brief period but charge us for the whole year.”

Brihanmumbai Krida and Lalit Kala Partishthan (BKLKP), a trust registered with the civic body, manages several recreational facilities, including this pool. Rakesh Shetty, a member of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee from Mulund West, wondered what renovations have been going on for so long. “The civic body took a tender of over ₹7 crores last year. What renovations are taking place for so long?” He asked. “The BKLKP has assured us that they will open the pool in the next two months. However, the tender mentions two years, so the contractor will take all of two years to complete the work. This is a huge loss to the residents, swimming professionals, and enthusiasts.”

A BMC officer in charge of the pool said that since its inception in 1985, the pool has undergone no major maintenance work. “The filtration plant was not functioning from time to time, so we closed it for a brief period. We are now carrying out full-fledged work. The estimated completion time is two years. We have asked the contractor to complete it before that. Meanwhile, we have offered the subscribers to use their membership at the Vikhroli swimming pool,” said the BMC officer in charge of the swimming pool.