Lack of proper underground drainage at Madurai Corporation’s swimming pool at Tamukkam is cause for mosquito breeding near the swimming area.
With no space for sewage flow, as the drainage line is blocked, only a smattering of bleaching powder is seen in the area where the sewage is stagnant.
The Corporation had constructed a channel for drainage to flow and connected the line to a septic tank in 2018. This line is now blocked. A person in charge of pool maintenance says that there is no proper channel to connect the drainage to the septic tank that collects all the waste discharged from the pool. “The pool requires an infrastructural overhaul. The underground drainage should be connected to a pumping station to ensure proper disposal of waste,” he says.
S. Rajalingam, who frequently brings his son to the pool, says that he regularly sees drainage stagnating near the pool. He adds that when it rains, the water turns green and has algae formation. “About two weeks ago, there was heavy rain in Madurai. When we visited the pool the next day we found algae. Men were engaged in cleaning it,” he says.
Many such questions have been raised about the hygiene standards maintained at the pool. At least 5,000 members visit the pool six days a week. The person in charge of pool maintenance says that they charge ₹20 per adult and ₹10 per child. The pool is chlorinated everyday and fresh water (20,000 litres) is fed each day. The public are allowed to use the pool to a depth ranging from 3.5 feet to seven feet. Though the actual depth of the pool is 12 feet, the area is restricted only for those who train at the pool. “When it rains, the fresh water facilitates formation of algae. It is a natural process. We clean it immediately,” he says.
Corporation Commissioner S. Visakan says that the separate channel had been built to ensure proper drainage flow. “We are looking into the matter and checking if there is a block,” he says.