Sports Department assigns officials’ duty at six Chandigarh pools

Deepankar Sharda

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Chandigarh, May 21

Days after Chandigarh Tribune highlighted the issue of six swimming pools in the city being run by one official each as the Sports Department failed to find eligible lifeguards, the department linked six officials at these centres.

The order states

As per the new order, a ‘linked’ official each has been deputed at the pools located in Sector 8, Sector 34, Sector 39, Sector 43, Sector 50 and Sector 56. In the absence of the regular official, this ‘linked’ official will run the respective pool to streamline its functioning.

Out of the 12 swimming pools, which are already being run under the Sports Department, six are being managed by one official each, while others are being looked after by two each.

As per the new order, a ‘linked’ official each has been deputed at the pools located in Sector 8, Sector 34, Sector 39, Sector 43, Sector 50 and Sector 56. In the absence of the regular official, this ‘linked’ official will run the respective pool to streamline its functioning.

“This is a welcome step. Usually, pools are being run under the supervision of one lifeguard and one coach. However given the current circumstances, each pool in city needs at least two officials to run a single pool. If in case an official needs to take an emergency or medical leave, the linked official will be now responsible to run the pool in his absence,” said an official.

Notably due to less number of coaches, these six pools are being supervised by four seasoned lifeguards and two boatmen. Last month, the department had 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 for the general public and swimmers. On an average, a majority of the pools have registration of over 90 members. As many as 11 lifeguards, including one woman, two coaches and five boatmen, have been deputed to operate pools. As per the summer session, these pools remain open for nearly five months, extendable till the start of the winter session.

Before opening these centres, the department had conducted trials to select six lifeguards. The trial was conducted at the Mani Majra sports complex. As per officials, no candidate cleared the criteria of becoming a lifeguard. Later, the contractor, who manages hiring of outsourced staff, was asked to restart the process of recruiting lifeguards. The issue was highlighted in these same columns on May 16. Two days later, the department issued the orders of assigning each of the six pools to six different linking officials.