BENGALURU: Summer is around the corner but swimmers who live around Jayanagar have all but lost hope of BBMP-run swimming pool near Kittur Rani Chennamma sports complex opening anytime soon. The latest deadline for the completion of works at the pool is March 1. The work has been going on for the last five years to upgrade the pool to international standards. Since 2018, several deadlines have been set for the inauguration, but none have been met. The latest deadline has come from Byrasandra Ward Corporator N Nagaraju, who said the inauguration will take place in the first week of March.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) proposed the project in 2014 under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, but the work started only in 2017. Nagaraju said, “I agree that there has been a long delay. But there are only small works, like cleaning the tiles and checking the water, is being left now.”BBMP Assistant Executive Engineer Mahantesh said, “The project was delayed as we were procuring products from Germany. The pool is of international standards and will be heated. We got the filters from Germany and that took a long time. It has come now and the work will be completed in no time.”
The complex will have a heated pool, warm-up pool and baby pool. “The heated pool is 50 metres, while the warm-up pool is 25 metres. Changing rooms and seating areas too have been renovated, while the space has been created for parking and an eatery,” said Babu S, the contractor. Omer Adil, a civil engineer and an area resident, said, “The pool has been shut for the last five years. I don’t think it will ever open again.”The project cost has exceeded the initial estimate by Rs 10 crore. The contractor will run the pool for 35 years. He will also pay the BBMP Rs 1.25 lakh per year.