Of the total 11 pools, including two new ones at Nava Vadaj and Madhupura, six are undergoing renovation.
With summers marking its arrival and days getting hotter, citizens are resorting to every possible means to keep them cool. But the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) run swimming pools are doing little to bring respite to people from the blistering heat. Of the total 11 pools, including two new ones at Nava Vadaj and Madhupura, six are undergoing renovation, and the work may take more time to get completed than expected.
Surprisingly, the swimming pools at Nava Vadaj and Madhupura are newly built and were made open to the public only recently. The civic body had allotted around Rs4.33 crore in the 2008-09 annual budget for the two pools and the gymnasium facility at the site.
Renovation is also in progress at the Sardar Patel Stadium Municipal Swimming Pool, for which the AMC had set aside Rs7.75 crore in its annual budget this year. "The civic body is running behind its scheduled time by a couple of months and the members of the swimming pool will probably have to wait till May or even June for a plunge," said JB Matalia, deputy city engineer, West Zone.
The scene is similar even at the Hirabhai Memorial Municipal Swimming Pool at Kankaria, for which the AMC had assigned Rs7.29 crore. The modernisation work is in progress but even here the AMC is running behind schedule and will take another 20 days to make the pool accessible to the public.
It is believed that the civic body is waiting for the labourers to return from their Dhuleti holidays, besides; the filtration plant is yet to be imported. According to deputy city engineer of south zone MS Parmar, "Work has got delayed because of a few trees that have been hampering progress."
However, for the residents of Saraspur area, dive in the cool water of the Somnath Prabhashankar Dave Municipal Swimming Pool may not at all be possible this summer. The civic body allotted around Rs76 lakh for the facelift of this pool but the demolition work started only some 10 days ago. "It will take around a year before the work finally gets completed. Moreover, the approval for the proposed chlorination plant is also yet to come," said assistant city engineer of Saraspur Ward, Mukesh Naik.
On the other hand, civil work at the Kantilal Fulchand Ghiya Municipal Swimming Pool is almost completed save for the electrical work. "We are expecting the pool to get completely renovated by April. But it will be made open for public use from the next season," said JB Matalia, deputy city engineer, West Zone.
The only exceptions to the list are the Lalbhai C Patel Municipal Swimming Pool at Khokhara, Ramanbhai Lallubhai Municipal Swimming Pool at Lal Darwaja and the Municipal Swimming Pool at Asarwa. All the three are ready for use and can be availed by the swimmers this year. However, the swimming pool for children at Municipal Swimming Pool is still under construction and is expected to be open within a month, said assistant city engineer of Asarwa ward VN Patel.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}