Rabindra Sarobar swimming pool set to reopen with stricter safety norms; was closed after a teen drowned there on June 15

Kolkata: In the wake of a 16-year-old boy’s death, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), the custodian of Rabindra Sarobar, is set to mandate the deployment of two lifeguards and essential safety equipment at the public swimming pool on the premises. The pool has remained closed since June 15, after a 16-year-old tragically drowned. “We have already prepared a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which has received approval from our expert committee. We have sought the approval of the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim, who is also our chairman. We hope that we will be able to open the pool by the end of this month,” said a senior KMDA official. Lifeguards and basic safety equipment have been lacking in the public swimming pool, which will be ensured before it is opened.

According to KMDA sources, the timing of the swimming pool will be maintained strictly, which will be different during summer and winter months. No entry will be allowed into the pool from half an hour before the closure time. Safety equipment, including an inflammable boat, ropes and oars, will be kept on hand to facilitate immediate rescue operations in emergency situations. An official further informed that the swimming area of the pool will be demarcated with a barrier, and no one will be allowed to venture beyond that area. KMDA, which has undertaken an exhaustive manual cleaning of the pool following the mishap, is in its final stage. Shivam Kumar Singh, a teenager from Burdwan visiting relatives in Ballygunge Place, drowned at the Sarobar on June 15. The incident raised questions about the safety of the public swimming pool