The two swimming pools run by the Bidhannagar Sports Complex will now be available on rent for school tournaments and other swimming competitions.
The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation is planning to renovate the pools and rent them out by the end of this year. Member, mayor-in-council, in charge of sports Prasenjit Sardar said: “We are looking at various renovation measures. Members have also requested our officials for extended hours at the swimming pools. At present we aren’t being able to add learning shifts beyond 7pm because we don’t have proper lights. Once the lights have been changed and renovations are done we will also rent out the place for sporting events.”
While the Central Park pool is 50m long, the other pool in CJ Block has six lanes measuring 25m in length and 12.5m in breadth. At present, there are 2,200 members at both pools together. Timings are 6am-9.40am and 3.30-8.40 pm. “We hope to bring in more members along with increased footfall at the pools. The revenue earned will be used for renovation,” Sardar added.
Plans are being laid out to repair fissures on the pool boundaries, upgrade the changing rooms and clear out the drainage channels which are blocked frequently due to too much of iron content in the water.
Added mayor Sabyasachi Dutta: “We are now at the planning stage. Soon tenders will be floated for the projects. The basic idea is to give people in Salt Lake another place to organise sporting events.”
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Eye on galleries
The civic body is also working towards upgrading the galleries at the football ground and cricket academy under the Bidhannagar Sports Complex. At present there are approximately 100 members.
“We get a lot of requests for night practice sessions. Because the floodlights are not in good conditions we are not being able to allow that. The grounds draw a lot of high profile users. Players from the Indian Super League practise here, so do players from East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. School children also come for training. But the after-dark facilities remain a concern because we can’t let them stay on. At present no one can practise beyond 6.30pm-7pm,” said Sardar.
Plans for other sports
The authorities are also looking to open training centres for lawn tennis, basketball and volleyball in Rajarhat and New Town. “Availability of vested land is a problem. Most land in those areas is up for public-private ownership with plans to build residential complexes later on. We need land that is government owned,” he added.
The civic body is also planning a football tournament with local players from 41 wards in November.
“We will have 42 teams and only players from respective wards will be able to participate. No outsider will be allowed,” he pointed out.
