Bhubaneswar, Oct. 28: The only swimming pool in the state with diving facility is set to make a splash.

Authorities have made plans to spruce up the facility at the Biju Patnaik Swimming Complex here and appoint a new diving coach within six months.

The facility, which was lying unused for the past four years, was in dire need of an overhaul. Poor maintenance and absence of a diving coach prevented people from using the facility since it was set up in 2008. At present, the entire pool is covered with a black layer of dirt. However, this will soon be a thing of the past with the sports and youth services department planning to appoint a diving coach.

“So far, the pool was used only for swimming. Now, with the appointment of a diving coach, swimmers can take part in a range of activities,” said one of the members at the pool.

A senior official of the state sports and youth services department said: “We will clean the diving pool and refill water. We also have plans to appoint a diving coach. The entire is expected to be complete within six months.”

When asked why no diving coach had been appointed for four years, the official said: “We had set up the swimming complex to train and groom swimmers of the state. But then we didn’t find enough people interested in taking up diving. So, there was no reason for us to appoint a diving coach. However, with time the interest in diving has gone up.”

Chintan Kumar Naik, who was named best swimmer at a state-level swimming championship held earlier this year, said: “Absence of a proper diving coach was an impediment in encouraging swimmers to take up diving as a career.” Chintan also represented Odisha in a national-level swimming championship in 2009.

The existing set-up at Biju Patnaik Swimming Pool Complex includes a warm-up pool, a pool for kids, a diving pool and an Olympic-size pool. The complex also has galleries for the audience.

The diving pool has facilities such as springboard for diving along with platforms up to a height of 10 metres for the divers. The diving pool, with a depth of 18 metres, was set up by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, the executing authority of the Biju Patnaik Swimming Pool Complex.

S.K Naik, joint secretary-cum-manager of the swimming complex, said: “This summer we had over 500 enrolled members at the swimming complex. Though the number decreases in winter, we still have a sizeable group interested in swimming.”

Naik, who also works as the senior swimming coach at the complex, was confident that once the diving pool became functional, it would attract more swimmers.