Chandigarh dept starts issuing membership for pools

Deepankar Sharda

Advertisement

Chandigarh, April 4

The UT Sports Department has started issuing membership for local swimming pools for the summer session.

Last month, Chandigarh Tribune had reported that the department will ensure the opening of all swimming pools by April 1. Meanwhile, the department has already deputed 18 officials to run a total of 12 swimming pools across the city. In addition, six more officials have been recruited to ensure two officials each at one centre. The tender to run these pools has been floated and the process to fill water in these pools has been started.

“We are ready with the pools and officials have been asked to start approving memberships at their respective centres, subject to the readiness of the pool. A majority of these pools have been filled with water, while a few may take two or three days. In the meanwhile, memberships will be allotted,” said Sorabh Kumar Arora, Director, Sports, UT Administration.

The department has opened Sector 23 nursery pool, Sector 23 all-weather pool, Lake Sports Complex pool, Sector 8, Sector 27, Sector 34, Sector 38, Sector 39, Sector 43, Sector 50, Sector 56 and Mani Majra Sports Complex pools.

Lifeguards, boatmen outnumber coaches

A majority of the pools will operate under lifeguards as the department has only two swimming coaches. As per the roster, two pools — Sector 23 all-weather and Lake Sports Complex — will be functional under the coaches of the department, while 11 lifeguards and five boatmen will operate other pools. Among these lifeguards, the department has just one woman lifeguard to help female swimmers in case of emergency. Newly recruited six officials are also appointed as lifeguards. Their test was recently conducted at the Mani Majra Sports Complex. As per the summer session, these pools remain open for nearly five months, extendable till the start of the winter session.

Dept lacks 50m Olympic-size pool

Perhaps, the UT Sports Department is the only government body of the region to have 12 swimming pools. However, none among these is a full-fledged 50m Olympic-size pool. The city has only one 50m full size (open) pool at Panjab University to train youngsters. Meanwhile, out of these 12 pools, at least half the pools are ‘kiddies’ pool having a maximum of 4ft depth. In the absence of an Olympic-size pool in the city, young swimmers either train at Mohali or at Sector 23 all-weather pool.

Summer timings

Though the department is yet to decide on the operational timings of these pools, centres are likely to open for six hours in a day. Sources claimed that the pools will open from 6 am to 7 am for competitors, 7 am to 8 am for non-students and from 8 am to 9 am for the family category. In the evening, these will open from 4 pm to 5 pm for competitors, 5 pm to 6 pm for non-students and from 6 pm to 7 pm for the family category. However, the timings were subject to change keeping in mind the rush at these pools, said an official. In the summer season, these pools witness huge rush of people as well as trainees.