Bhubaneswar, May 24: With the temperature soaring and the heat and humidity making life miserable, a dip in the cool blue waters of a swanky swimming pool could be the perfect way to chill.

But many residents are missing out on the fun in absence of enough facilities in the city.

The high demand in the state capital can be gauged from the number of applications the Biju Patnaik swimming complex at Kalinga Stadium receives.

According to the officials at the Biju Patnaik Swimming Complex, owned and operated by the state sports and youth services department, over 500 people, including children and women, have been enrolled for the monthly swimming practice in the complex.

For June, the facility received over 400 applications. However, officials said priority would be given to the existing members. Then depending on the availability of slots, others would be considered.

"I had to wait in a long queue on the day they sold the application forms. But now the officials say that they can't assure a seat for my son," said Anuradha Mohanty, a mother of a seven-year-old boy.

The modest fees attract people to the swimming complex. According to the senior coach and in-charge of the swimming complex Surendra Kumar Nayak, the fees are Rs 750 per month during summer and Rs 500 per month for winter sessions. For ther other seasons it is Rs 650.

The fees are much less than other swimming pools owned by private entities such as hotels and educational institutions. The hotels charge around Rs 2,000 or more, and the educational institutions do not allow outsiders.

Talking about the swimming complex, Nayak said there were four pools in the complex of which there is a 50x25 metre Olympic swimming pool where competitions are held. Besides, there is a diving pool, a practice pool for women and one for kids. The trainee swimmers from Sambalpur are also undergoing training here as the only pool in this western Odisha town is being repaired.

The swimming complex conducts monthly crash courses throughout the year and all the pools remain busy.

"We are planning to propose to the government to build another pool in the complex, as it would help accommodate more people," said Nayak.

The swimming training and practice sessions are held in the mornings, afternoons and evenings. Nine sessions are held everyday. The authorities said seeing the demand for swimming among the girls and women in the city, they arranged another slot in the afternoon other than the one in the morning. The rest seven sessions are for men.

Along with monthly membership, the complex also provides seasonal membership for three months and also annual membership.

It also provides the pools to educational institutes outside the regular sessions.

Xavier Institute has got one session of 45 minutes for around 50 of its students in one of the pools here. Similarly, internationally acclaimed scuba diver Sabir Bux conducts his workshop at one of the pools. These slots are allotted on a payment of Rs 1,000 per month.

"There is a big need for several such swimming pools in the city. In absence of enough facilities, children are forced to go to nearby water bodies and accidents occur," said Dushmant Nanda, a resident of the city.

However, the state government has decided to construct swimming pool complexes at district levels in the state. The sports and youth services department would spend an estimated Rs 3.50 crore for each swimming pool complex and the work would be executed by the Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha (Idco). Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had also made the announced the project.

"Approval has already been accorded for construction of swimming pools at district headquarters of Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Ganjam (Berhampur), Sonepur in the first phase. Besides, the renovation of Jhasketan Sahu swimming pool complex at Sambalpur is under way," said an official of the sports department.