Southern Avenue Swimming Club and (below) Udipi Cafeteria. Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Southern Avenue with its tree-lined boulevard was once south Calcutta’s pride, green and serene. But now it is fast becoming just another overcrowded concrete jungle. And the real eyesore here is the Southern Avenue boulevard swimming pool, the first of its kind in Calcutta, which came up in 2005. Former mayor Subrata Mukherjee’s gift to the people, the Southern Avenue Swimming Club curiously came up in an area dotted with open-air swimming clubs and the Dhakuria Lake.

The swimming pool is on the central boulevard of Southern Avenue, encroaching upon the greenery as well as the busy road. Schoolchildren and pedestrians are often found walking on the carriageway as the monstrous structure in the middle has gobbled up the pavements bordering the boulevard.

The pool is Mukherjee’s baby in more ways than one. The Southern Avenue Boulevard Swimming Club has taken over the swimming pool on a 25-year lease from the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC). Mukherjee is the president of the club. The club is used by families living in the area. The grumbles can be heard from members and non-members alike.

Subrata Mukherjee agrees that his pet project poses a problem for pedestrians. “The trouble with the swimming pool is that it blocks the boulevard. Also, the area today is less illuminated at night.”

Member’s peeve The amount of chlorine in the water is too high. Besides, the water is not clean and the bed of the pool cannot be seen clearly — Ila Ghosh, a member

But that is all he is willing to concede. “We are very conscious about keeping the pool clean. The water is cleaned regularly and the quality of the water is monitored by experts.”

But why a swimming pool of all things in such an area? Mukherjee dives in: “I think it was one of the basic necessities of the locality. The club is very popular among the youngsters…. During construction, a section of the local residents had raised objections to the pool. But I feel now they have changed their opinion.”

The jury is out on that one.

resident’s ire I have been living here for over 70 years and I can see that the club has had an adverse impact on the environment here. The rate of accidents has gone up with the blocking of the pavement — Shankar Chattopadhyay, local resident and an economist

Udipi cafeteria in Deshapriya Park, opposite Priya cinema offers a strange (to put it politely) fusion of public toilet-and-private eatery.

The popular cafeteria owes its existence to a messy civic toilet. Had the free toilet not turned into a nuisance through 15 years of misuse, the eatery would not have been born.

In 2005, during the tenure of mayor Subrata Mukherjee it was decided that the free toilet would be replaced with a pay-and-use toilet. And to make the new toilet viable, the CMC decided to lease out the roof of the toilet. Highest bidder Udipi took over the place by paying Rs 13 lakh as lease money and a monthly rent of Rs 27,000.

cinegoer’s shudder Yuck! I will never visit this cafeteria. My friends used to go there but I don’t feel comfortable. It’s so unhygienic — Neha Bajaj, a BBA student

Udipi has long recovered its money as the cafeteria is the second most popular destination in the area, after Priya cinema. Young couples and the college crowd find Udipi most convenient as they are free to spend hours there.

Owner Shailendra Lath says, “It was masterminded by Subrata Mukherjee and the roaring success of Udipi is proof of his success.”

Mastermind Mukherjee crows: “Such cafeterias exist in other parts of the country and nobody has a problem. If you talk about hygiene then how do people prefer attached baths in their flats. Cleanliness is always a matter of maintenance.”

local loyalty It is a place for adda. I visit this cafeteria with my friends…. I just ignore the toilet. Otherwise, I would not be able to eat! — Debashmita, a local resident

Arijit Dutta, the proprietor of Priya cinema, says: “It used to be an open toilet before Udipi came up. I can say that this is better than before. But the owner doesn’t do anything about beautification. There was supposed to be a fountain in front. The building could do with a coat of paint. The roof of Udipi is a junkyard. He could take care of the place instead of just reaping money…. Logically, a toilet and eatery don’t go together.”

Talat Salahuddin