Every swimming pool should have lifeguards stationed along the edges to monitor swimmers and respond if anyone is in distress. There should also be life belts at hand to throw into the water during emergencies, experts said.
The Public Swimming Pool at Rabindra Sarobar had none of these, admitted officials of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), the custodian of the water body.
A lone guard opens and closes the pool gate each day. The pool is open for fixed hours, but there are no tickets — it is open to all.
“Any swimming pool should be under some form of supervision. While trainers are usually in the water and close to the trainees, it is not always possible for them to notice if someone is drowning or struggling,” said Amit Bose, director of swimming at the Indian Life Saving Society (ILSS), known as Anderson Club.
Bose said that watchers, who also serve as lifeguards, are stationed on land along the edges of the pool. Their role is to watch the swimmers from above. “Ideally, there should be one lifeguard for every 10 swimmers. Lifeguards have the advantage of a clear view from above. The moment they spot someone struggling or drowning, they jump in to rescue them,” he explained.
Even life belts — inflated rubber tubes — can help during emergencies. “A few life belts should be kept along the pool’s edges. Anyone can throw a life buoy to a struggling swimmer, helping them stay afloat until help arrives,” he said.
Two KMDA officials said the Public Swimming Pool did not have any lifeguards or life belts.
“Those who go there are expected to know how to swim. We don’t have lifeguards or life buoys there,” said one official.
“The pool is open during specific hours. There are separate timings for summer and winter. A security guard is responsible for opening and locking the gate every day.”
Naba Dutta, secretary of the green platform Sabuj Mancha, alleged poor maintenance of the pool. “The steps are covered in moss, and the floors are broken and slippery. There is a smaller pool for children and trainees, but it is in terrible condition. Everyone is forced to swim in the larger pool,” he said.
“The authorities recently inaugurated a changing room, but did not focus on cleaning the pool. This accident was waiting to happen. Swimmers themselves clean the pool when it becomes unusable.”
