Chembur civic pool shut over leak, swimmers fear prolonged shutdown

Mumbai: Less than a decade after it was rebuilt, the General Arunkumar Vaidya Swimming Pool in Chembur has been shut for the past 10 days after a leakage was detected, leaving regular swimmers in the lurch.The nearest civic-run alternative in Ghatkopar is already closed for a revamp for the past seven years, further limiting options. While the BMC has offered to transfer swimmers to other municipal pools in Vikhroli, Wadala and even Dadar, many users say the arrangement is impractical due to increased travel time and costs. Ghatkopar resident Manzil Visaria, a specially abled swimmer, said, "Already for me travelling from Ghatkopar to Chembur isn't very easy and now the authorities are suggesting that I travel even further. Instead they should work on arresting the leakage speedily."Some swimmers like Visaria suspect the leak could be a precursor to larger repair works, potentially keeping the facility shut for an extended period. "We fear that in the name of repairs of the leakage the pool may be shut for a longer duration," he said.The Chembur pool reopened in August 2018 after taking over a decade to be reconstructed. Naresh Mehta, 81, also a regular swimmer at the civic pools since the 1970s, said that with it being peak summer season many who had enrolled with so much enthusiasm have been left disappointed. "During summer vacations there are many people who enrol especially kids however the leakage that has shut the facility will force them to look for other options," said Mehta.A member of the swimming pool, not wishing to be named, said, "The operation of the pool and coaching and lifeguards are provided by a contractor. The BMC has a labourer who unofficially runs the plant for the contractor. Many of the insiders have told us that whenever this labourer wants to go on leave, he messes up with the plant, claims there is a leakage or spoils quality of water to ensure that he gets leave."Civic officials have dismissed the allegations, while confirming that a leak exists and its source remains unidentified despite multiple attempts to trace it.Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ajit Kumar Ambi said, "There is no clear timeline for reopening the pool. We are currently investigating the cause of the leakage. It was first detected when our teams observed an unusually high water intake. Once identified, we began efforts to trace its source."