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Gym equipment gathering dust at PMC-owned sports centres
PUNE Fitness equipment at various gymnasiums owned by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been lying unused as the facility was closed due to Covid lockdowns
PUNE Fitness equipment at various gymnasiums owned by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been lying unused as the facility was closed due to Covid lockdowns.
At some centres like Swami Ramdev Baba sports complex at Taljai hills, the exercise equipment have been dumped at a corner.
Santosh Warule, head, PMC sports and cultural department, said, “Many fitness equipment are in bad shape at sports complexes as they were not used for almost two years. As many PMC-owned facilities are managed by contractors, it is their responsibility to keep the machines in good shape.”
The civic official said that PMC is taking stock of sports and gym equipment to ascertain if it is in working condition or needs to be disposed of as scrap.
Warule said, “Though the tenure of some contractors has expired, the facility was in their possession. We will seal these centres soon.”
Many elected members had provided gym equipment from their ward development fund, to be maintained by PMC. “Though it is for public use, PMC owns the equipment,” Warule said.
Private gym operator Malhar Joshi said, “Following lockdowns, even private operators were unable to maintain equipment. Many were forced to closed down.”
Another gym instructor Sushil Marathe said, “During lockdowns, police did not allow us to open our centres. Then how could we maintain exercise equipment?”
