The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s Ameerpet swimming pool, the favourite haunt for many to escape the sweltering summer heat, has gone dry, thanks to the depleting water table in the city.
With summer season advancing and the Hyderabad Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) tightening its belt, the water supply to playgrounds, parks and swimming pools has been discontinued resulting in the closure of the pool.
Of the seven swimming pools managed by the GHMC, only Ameerpet is dependent on commercial water supply and rest of them have their own bore wells to cater to the demand, a GHMC official said. “Due to the low water table we failed to get water even at a depth of 1,600 feet,” he said.
For a swimming pool to function, there is a need for water equivalent to about 140 tankers. Once the pool is filled, there is a need of three to five tankers per day to maintain it which includes provisions like water for users to take shower, filtration of the tank and other maintenance work.
Ever since a Government Order was passed last year, banning the supply of water to swimming pools, parks and playgrounds, the Ameerpet pool has been facing problems, he said.
Similar issues dog other pools as in Sanathnagar due to the bore wells going dry. The GHMC sports wing has now appealed to the Water Board to restore the supply to the public pools as scores of youngsters throng them during summer camps scheduled to begin from April 1.
Other pools
GHMC operates swimming pools at Moghalpura, Secunderabad, Vijaynagar Colony, Chandulal Baradari, Sanathnagar, Amberpet and Ameerpet.
Apart from the swimming pool at Ameerpet, all other pools have started functioning and are geared up to meet the summer rush, the official added.
