Kolkata: The College Square swimming pool will be thrown open from April 15.
Water from the Central Kolkata pool was drained out following the death of an ace swimmer in September last year amid allegations that the person got stuck to a platform built under water by one of the swimming clubs without obtaining permission from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
"We will start filling up water in the swimming pool from Tuesday. There were a number of illegal constructions in the form of platforms that were constructed in the pool without our permission. We have demolished majority of them and now the pool is safe for swimming," Debasish Kumar, Member Mayor-in-Council (Parks & Gardens) said.
It may be mentioned that the demolition work for illegal platforms had started in September last year. Even after water was drained out following the incident in September, the civic body had stopped the work with the College Square Puja Committee urging the KMC to supply water in the pool as the lighting arrangements of the Puja involves the waterbody. "We had agreed to their plea as the Puja is a major attraction and many pandal hoppers from all parts of the state visit College Square during the Puja. Water was again drained out after the festive season and then the demolition work had taken place," an official of KMC's (Parks & Gardens) department said.
The civic body has already issued a series of guidelines for the three swimming clubs running at College Square with the swimming season drawing near. According to the guidelines, these clubs will need to employ at least two trainers at each pool. The clubs will be asked to create a barricade near the illegally constructed platforms. "The clubs will be asked to give an undertaking that they won't undertake any sort of construction under water," the official added.
The guideline further states that no swimmers should be allowed in the pool without a life jacket. Besides trainers, divers will have to be deployed in the pool for the little swimmers.