KMC to conduct health audit of all swimming pools

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation that began health audit of the College Square swimming pool on Friday will take up the same exercise for all swimming pools in the city.

The move by the civic body assumed

significance as a Class-IX student Mohammad Shahbaaz of a swimming club drowned at the College Square pool on Sunday.

"We had published a booklet with a

series of guidelines to be followed by

the swimming clubs for the safety and security of the swimmers in 2017. The health audit will be conducted to see whether the pools in the city are adhering to the directives. Action will be taken in case of any negligency," said Debasish Kumar, Member Mayor in Council (Parks & Gardens ).

Swimming pools located at Hedua, Tala Park, Puddapukur in Bhowanipore and all those that are under the jurisdiction of KMC will go through the audit.

The exercise will be conducted by Kolkata District Swimming Committee in association with India Life Saving Society.

It may be mentioned that the guidelines for the clubs was issued by the KMC after an ace swimmer Kajal Dutta, drowned at the College Square pool in August 2017.

The directives included employing at least two trainers at each pool, no swimmers to be allowed in the pool without a life jacket, divers to be deployed in the pool for the swimmers.

The guidelines also stated that in case of children, guardians should not leave their wards and go elsewhere while they are being trained in swimming.

KMC has already barred the Calcutta University Institute College Square (Vidyasagar Udyan) club one of the five odd located in College from imparting swimming lessons for novices until further orders.

Shabaaz , a novice belonged to this club, encroached into the pool meant for the seniors by crossing the demarcation line.

It may be mentioned that Shabaaz's brother has lodged a complaint with

Amherst Street police station alleging negligence on the part of Calcutta University Institute College Square for the former's death.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to come up with separate swimming pools for learners across the city.

"We have already come up with such pools where there will be no scope to venture into deep water in a similar manner as the victim did," a senior KMC official said. The KMC has plans to implement this decision by the next swimming season that will begin from March 2020.