Mumbai: At a time when citizens are looking at cool leisure options like swimming to beat the heat, the Lions municipal swimming pool, located next to Odeon Cinema in Ghatkopar East, has been shut for five years now and in all likelihood it will not reopen for another three years.
The closure was initially due to renovations but the BMC failed to commence the much-needed restoration work, leaving the local community frustrated and yearning for answers. Nearly 4,000 members had enrolled for annual membership when the pool was operational.
Tweets, letters, appeals by citizens go unheard
As the BMC continues to ignore their complaints and fails to take any action, the community has voiced its growing frustration. Despite repeated appeals made through tweets and handwritten letters, the grievances have been met with unexplained silence.
Manzil Visaria, a resident, said, “I am suffering from ankylosing spondylitis and the treatment requires regular physical exercise. Swimming has always been an effective therapy for me. However, with the closure of the Ghatkopar pool, I am forced to travel to the General Arun Kumar Vaidya swimming pool in Chembur, which is both time-consuming and financially burdensome.”
Himmat Gori, a businessman from Ghatkopar, said, “The pool’s closure has dealt a significant blow to the health and social well-being of numerous senior citizens who have relied on the activity for decades to stay fit and engage with fellow community members.”
Naresh Mehta, a 78-year-old resident, said, “The Ghatkopar pool used to be the meeting point of our group of 20-25 senior citizens. Now, most of the time is wasted travelling to reach the Chembur pool.”
Visaria revealed that BMC officials assured them six months ago that the tender would be approved and renovation work would commence within three months. However, the promised timeline has passed and the renovation is yet to commence-
BMC deputy commissioner Kishore Gandhi said that there are definitive plans underway to construct a sports complex, which will include a swimming pool on the top floor. “We anticipate that the tender process will be completed within a month and subsequent construction work will commence with an estimated completion timeline of three years,” he said.
