IN THE SWIM OF THINGS BMC to open Olympic-size pool ahead of summer

Come summer and Mumbaikars will be able to enjoy an ‘Olympic’ splash at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) swimming pool in Kandivli west. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is all set to reopen this pool, with Olympic dimensions, after it was shut for renovation two years ago.

Located at MG Road, Kandivli, the SVP pool drew large crowds on summer afternoons, including Mumbaikars from all walks of life. It is expected to be thrown open to the public by April. “More than 90 per cent of the work is complete and the pool is almost ready for public use. Some final assessments need to be completed and we expect to open it for the public by April this year,” a senior BMC official said.

The architects have remodelled the pool, keeping in mind the long-course swimming pool standards of summer Olympics. The pool is 50 metres (160 feet) long and 25 metres (82 feet) wide and is equipped with modernday facilities, such as an aqua gymnasium. The project cost is around Rs10 crore.

At present, the only Olympic-sized swimming pool in the city is at Goregaon west. However, the SVP pool will be the first such pool to be maintained by the civic body. “The pool will be operated by the BMC. The civic body aims to provide swimming classes and water sports training at cost-effective rates, compared to private pools,” the official said.

The corporation will also deploy lifeguards and security personnel, while swimming experts will be appointed to teach learners. There are five pools operated by the civic body and in the 2019-20 BMC budget, a proposal to construct eight more swimming pools in the city, within 30 months was announced.