CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation has formed a 10-member committee to issue ‘no obection certificate’ to operate swimming pools in the Chennai Metropolitan Area.
The committee will be headed by the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner with the Corporation Commissioner as member convener.
The Chennai Corporation has asked the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to insist on ‘no objection certificate’ from the committee for swimming pools before issuing completion certificate for the building or development.
This comes after the Regulation and Monitoring of Swimming Pool Rules 2015 came into force. The rules were framed following accidents in pools in the recent past. The rules were framed by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply department to monitor swimming pools in residential and commercial complexes and educational institutions across the State.
Besides stipulating the shape and dimension of the pool, the rules prescribe qualification for coaches, instructors and lifeguards. Instructors and coaches should possess certificates in swimming from the National Institute of Sports while lifeguards should be qualified from the Rashtriya Life Saving Society (India). Lifeguards should also have experience in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation procedure.
The other members of the committee include the CMDA member secretary, regional senior manager of Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, joint director, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Department, divisional officer, Fire and Rescue Services, executive engineer Metro Water, joint director, Office of Directorate of School Education (in respect of swimming pools in schools), joint director collegiate, office of collegiate (in respect of swimming pools in colleges and universities) and PWD executive engineer (for pools with a diving board).