BENGALURU: While summer days are coming to an end, residents of Jayanagar have not yet got a chance to take a dip in the Jayanagar swimming pool, which was closed five years ago. But now, the residents can heave a sigh of relief as the pool, located in 3rd block Jayanagar, close to the Cosmopolitan Club, will finally be inaugurated in August.
The pool has been under renovation for the past five years and was to be upgraded to an international standard hot water swimming pool, which would make it the first-of-its-kind pool in the state.
First proposed in 2014, the project was taken up by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike (BBMP) under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. But due to some hurdles, the project took off in 2017, with the promise of being completed by March this year.
Jayanagar MLA Sowmya Reddy, who has returned after her meeting in Delhi with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress Women’s Wing president Sushmita Dev, said, “I had inspected the pool two weeks ago and it was supposed to open in March. But the contractors have delayed it. Now they have promised that the work will be done by August.”
BBMP assistant executive engineer (AEE), Jayanagar Zone, Mahantesh Burampur pointed out that the renovation of the pool has cost `10 crore. “As it is under the PPP model, the private contractors are spending the full amount. We will get annual lease amount of `60,000 for 35 years. People will be able to swim in any season as the temperatures are controlled,” said Burampur.
Burampur added that a baby pool is also being constructed, along with changing rooms for men and women. “The pool will be 4- 15 feet deep. It will have a main pool, a warm-up zone and a special pool for women and kids. The parking area is also being made wider to allow more vehicles,” said the AEE.
Residents are looking forward to the pool’s opening in August-end. Urusa Inayath, a teacher at St Pauls English School and resident of Jayanagar, said her children would swim during weekends but haven’t been able to since it was closed. “BBMP can’t be negligent; they need to monitor closely and get the work done fast,” she added.
Benefits of a heated pool
According to Hussain, a professional swimmer from Grace Swim School, a heated swimming pool can help swimmers as they can train despite cold temperatures. The advantage extends to competitive-level swimmers too. “When they go abroad for tournaments, their body needs time to adapt to that temperature. But with the hot swimming pool, they can adapt to any temperature easily,” added Hussain.