Pune: Contractor Removed, New Safety Measures Adopted for PCMC Swimming Pools
Pimpri, 15th October 2023: In response to a chlorine gas leak incident at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar swimming pool in Kasarwadi that injured 19 people, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has taken decisive action. The use of chlorine gas for water purification in all municipal swimming pools has been banned. Instead, only chlorine powder will be employed as a safety measure.
The decision to cease the use of chlorine gas was approved by PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh on Friday (13th). This move comes in the wake of the incident on Tuesday (10th) where a chlorine gas leak in Kasarwadi’s swimming pool put lives at risk.
A case has been registered against the contractor, Sumit Sports and Equipments, in Bhosari police station for negligence that endangered the lives of citizens.
In response to the incident, PCMC has also withdrawn the contract for six swimming pools, which were previously managed by Sumit Sports and Equipments. The affected pools are located in Keshavnagar, Nehrunagar, Vadmukhwadi-Charholi, Pimpri village, Pimple Gurav, and Kasarwadi. The tender process for these pools has been initiated, and it is scheduled for release on Monday (16). In the interim, Deva Swimming Equipments, the contractor of the Sambhajinagar pool, will take over the management of these six pools.
Furthermore, the PCMC Sports Department has opted for the use of chlorine powder for water purification in swimming pools across the municipality. This decision was made after successfully testing chlorine powder at the Nigdi, Sector No. 23 Water Purification Center, with positive feedback from the laboratory. Commissioner Singh has given his approval for the transition.
The Sambhajinagar lake contractor, Deva Equipments, will undertake this task. Following the safety measures, swimming pools that were closed as a precaution will reopen, beginning with those in Kasarwadi from Saturday (14). The water quality at the Kasarwadi pool will be assessed, and Deputy Commissioner of the Sports Department, Mininath Dandavate, stated that the pool will reopen once the test results are positive.
