This BMC pool has a warranty of just 73 days

Another ldquopoorly builtrdquo public amenity has brought to light the shoddy workmanship of the BMCappointed contractors BMC Dahisar West Swimming Pool which was opened to the public on April 1 was shut down 73 days later after its tiles started breakingThe BMC closed the pool in Pramila Nagar area of Dahisar West on June 13 citing ldquomaintenancerdquo work A notice has pasted at the entrance to the pool informing members about its closure until June 28When midday went to the site the office staff refused access citing the ongoing work When asked why the pool was being repaired when it was just built an employee who identified himself as Ranjeet Bodare merely said ldquoThe tiles had broken hence the repair work We cannot give access to anyone for nowrdquoIt happens ContractorThe contractor who was present at the site casually said ldquoThese things are common and happen We are repairing it The work will be over by June 27 and the pool will be open to the public by June 28rdquoThe notice asks members to use other BMC facilities in Dahisar East Kandivli or Malad until the Dahisar West pool is repaired This instruction has led the members to believe that their lost duration owing to repairs wonrsquot be adjustedMembers question qualityHarish Pandey a member of the pool and secretary of the New Link Road Residents AssociationDahisar said ldquoFirst of all there are just two shower heads in the menrsquos changing room and even they had stopped working within a few days Is there any accountability for poor work or is the public money being flushed down the drainrdquoPandey called the BMCrsquos instruction to use other facilities illogical while pointing out that the local residents including his family signed up at Dahisar West pool because of its proximity ldquoMany people who have signed up have done so because the pool is nearby It will be too much inconvenience to travel all the way to Dahisar East Kandivli or Malad to use the pool nowrdquo he saidIt is not like Shree Murbalidevi Swimming Pool in Dahisar East is in tiptop condition either Pandey said His son who was a member there earlier had suffered cuts in the sole of his feet because of the broken tiles he alleged ldquoMy son even complained that the water in the pool is dirtyrdquolsquoChange contractorrsquoDavid Soosay a resident of Kandarpada in Dahisar West also wondered how the tiles in the pool got damaged in just two months We were very happy when the BMC inaugurated the swimming pool in our vicinity as there was no public pool in Dahisar West Before We immediately registered for membership But within a few days the pool shut for maintenance They told us we can use other BMC poolsBut if it was convenient for us we would have taken a membership in Dahisar East or Kandivli instead of waiting for one to open in our areardquo Another resident who did not wish to be named said ldquoThe BMC needs to change the contractor unless there is a nexus of BMC officials and the contractor I registered for membership online in May and suddenly there was a notice that from June 13 the pool will be shutrdquoKishore Gandhi deputy municipal commissioner said the pool is undergoing maintenance work ldquoThe tiles in the pool were damaged and we need to find out what all is damaged this cannot be done with the pool filled with water Public access was stopped temporarily for that We are investigating the cause of the damagerdquo The membership at Dahisar West pool is Rs 8410 For differently abled citizens currentretired BMC employees and BMC corporators the fee is Rs 4370BMCrsquos 8 swimming poolsgtgt Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Olympic Swimming Pool in Dadar Westgtgt General Arunkumar Vaidya Olympic Swimming Pool in Chembur Eastgtgt Priydarshini Indira Gandhi Kreeda Sankul Swimming Pool in Mulund Westgtgt Shahaji Raje Bhosale Kreeda Sankul Swimming Pool in Andheri Westgtgt BMC Malad West Swimming Pool in Malad Westgtgt Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Olympic Swimming Pool in Kandivli Westgtgt BMC Dahisar West Swimming Poolgtgt Shree Murbalidevi Swimming Pool in Dahisar EastJuly 13Day Dahisar West pool was closed for repairs