Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has made swimming pools accessible across the city to provide residents some relief from the heat.The authority manages a network of 17 sports complexes with public swimming pools, and it has opened these after obtaining fresh permissions.These include swimming facilities at the Saket Sports Complex, Yamuna Sports Complex, Netaji Subhash Sports Complex at Jasola, Dwarka Sports Complex Sector-11, Rohini Sports Complex, Major Dhyan Chand Sports Complex, and Hari Nagar Sports Complex, among others.“These seasonal pools typically operate till the end of Sept. Annual renewals of permissions are mandatory from various bodies in addition to water test reports from accredited labs,” an official said.DDA also maintains all-weather pools such as at Siri Fort Sports Complex, which is open for 10 months — from Feb 1 to Nov 30. From April 1 to Sept 30, it operates as normal pool, and for the rest of the months, it is a heated pool, with variations in fees.A maximum of 80 people are allowed in one session of one hour at big DDA pools (25 metres by 50 metres) of Olympic size and 40 in pools of a smaller size (12.5 metres by 25 metres).“For the convenience of visitors, we are keeping sessions in the morning, which will be from 6am to 12pm, as well as in the evening from 3pm to 9pm,” an official had said earlier. The monthly coaching charge is Rs 1,250 for each person in summer.“The pool here (Siri Fort) receives maximum footfall, which is why we did detailed renovation work in 2023 (after 13 years). The Olympic-size pool here has heating facilities, air-conditioned changing rooms and a reception area. Next to the pool is a toddlers’ pool. The facility is open in winter as well and has provisions for heating and maintaining temperature,” the official said.Similarly, at the swimming pool in Vasant Kunj Sports Complex, DDA has said that it has ramps and other facilities to allow persons with disabilities to use the facility. “Despite creating many facilities, we are keeping the users’ charges very competitive at swimming pools so that people can benefit,” an official had said earlier.Besides swimming, various sports activities are being offered for children of different ages with the beginning of summer vacations. “Summer coaching camps in badminton, basketball, cricket, football, skating, taekwondo, tennis, and yoga are already in progress at Siri Fort, Saket Sports Complex, Hari Nagar, Paschim Vihar, Dwarka Sports Complex Sector-11, Dwarka Complex Sector 17, Major Dhyan Chand, RSC, Rastriya Swabhiman Khel Parisar, Poorvi Delhi, Squash and Badminton Stadium (SBS) on Siri Fort Road, and Commonwealth Games,” stated the authority.Early this month, the DDA started recruiting professional sports coaches across various disciplines at their sports complexes, offering a revenue-sharing arrangement. “The authority made these preparations to accommodate the anticipated surge in attendance during the upcoming summer holidays, particularly for temporary courses and specific sporting activities. A maximum of two sports complexes would be awarded to any coach or agency in any discipline,” stated the authority.“The difference in coaching rates for members and non-members at all sports complexes will be uniform at 25% additional charges for non-members,” the authority said in the notice.
Mayank Rawat
