Mumbai, Dec 01: The BMC’s swimming pool at Ghatkopar East has remained closed for the past seven years due to prolonged repair work. Although the civic body initiated renovation last year, the project has continued to face delays, causing inconvenience, complain local residents.

On Monday, a group of residents, joined by political representatives, confronted the Assistant Commissioner of N Ward, demanding answers and accountability for the prolonged inconvenience.

Pool Shut After Repeated Leak Repairs Failed

The Lions Municipal Swimming Pool (Odeon Pool) was opened in 1972. When the pool began leaking heavily, members approached then-Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, and repairs were carried out three times. Yet, the problem persisted, forcing the BMC to shut down the facility, leaving only a hall available for private events.

Plans to revamp the pool into a state-of-the-art sports complex featuring the city’s first shooting range were announced with much fanfare. However, years later, the swimming pool remains closed, with residents and sports enthusiasts left waiting for a promise that has yet to materialise.

Locals Meet N Ward Assistant Commissioner Seeking Answers

Rakhi Jadhav, former corporator of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), along with local residents, met Assistant Municipal Commissioner Gajanan Bellare at the BMC’s N Ward office in Ghatkopar East to demand answers on the long-delayed swimming pool project.

“Currently, residents have no choice but to use the swimming pool in Chembur. Despite the allocation in the budget, the work on the Ghatkopar pool has progressed at a snail’s pace,” Jadhav said.

Ambitious Sports Complex Planned but Still Pending

The civic officials presented a PowerPoint outlining the project, but residents remain frustrated by the lack of visible progress. Bellare was unavailable for comment. While the original swimming pool was a semi-Olympic facility (25 metres long), the proposed new structure promises to be Olympic-sized (50 metres long).

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The ambitious plan envisions a five-storey sports complex featuring courts for boxing, basketball, badminton, volleyball, squash, and table tennis, along with a fully equipped gymnasium. The swimming pool itself will be located on the rooftop, making it a landmark facility for the city.

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