Jhasketan Sahu Municipal Swimming Pool in Sambalpur. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, May 22: The Jhasketan Sahu Municipal Swimming Pool here is lying in utter neglect.

The filtration plant of the pool has not been functioning for the past several months. The pool’s stagnant water becomes dirty due to non-circulation.

Instead of two suction sweepers for cleaning water, there is only one. A small kids’ pool, which was developed on the premises of the Jhasketan Sahu Municipal Swimming Pool in 2008, is also lying defunct.

The swimming pool is earning substantial revenue, but the municipality does not seem to bother about renovating it. “The pool has earned around Rs 2 lakh in the last two months. At least 300 children are regularly coming here to learn swimming. Students of the swimming hostel of Sambalpur also practice here regularly. If it is maintained properly, more children will take admission here,” said swimming coach and pool in-charge Rankanidhi Seth.

Another swimming coach said: “The filtration plant should run for 8 to 10 hours every day for proper filtration of the water. However, the swimming pool here has been running without the filtration plant for long.”

During summer vacation, hundreds of students take admission to the Jhasketan Sahu Municipal Swimming Pool to learn swimming. However, the dirty water of the pool poses the risk of causing infection.

“But the municipality, which is responsible for maintenance of the swimming pool, does not seem to bother about the condition. It should urgently initiate steps to repair the filtration plant,” said Gokul Pradhan, a local resident.

“The oldest swimming pool in the state, it is also an asset of the city. However, it is unfortunate that because of the lack of attention of the concerned authority, it is lying in a neglected condition,” said Newton Ray, another local resident and a sports lover.

“The swimming pool boasts of a glorious past. Several national and state-level swimming competitions were held here. The concerned authority should take urgent measures to renovate it,” he said.

When contacted, executive officer of Sambalpur Municipality Aniruddha Padhan said: “The filtration plant of the swimming pool will be repaired at the earliest. We have already taken a decision in this regard.”