C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Swimming pools across the state are vulnerable as they lack regulatory body to monitor safety mechanisms as neither the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority nor the Metro Water has powers to regulate it, according to planners.
The death of 10-year-old M Ranjan, who drowned during his swim class recently, is a wake-up call to the government to ensure there is a regulatory body to monitor safety mechanisms in swimming pools in the multi-storeyed buildings as well as schools so that such kind of accidents are prevented, according to Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI), Tamil Nadu Chapter chairman V M Marudachalam.
“Now swimming pools are mushrooming across the state with builders trying to provide such a facility to woo prospective buyers. As such there is a need to have a regulatory body,” Marudachalam said.
ITPI secretary Krishna Kumar said swimming pools are permitted in all floors in the building including the terrace floor and within the site. In certain buildings the swimming pool is proposed within the flat also. “The responsibility lies with the builder solely to provide safety measures and the structural stability of the swimming pool. Planners or CMDA hardly have any role and can’t be blamed. A competent authority would be the Chennai Corporation or department of fire and rescue services,” he added.
Former secretary of ITPI, R Shivakumar concurs with his view. He says as per CMDA regulations, swimming pools are exempted from the purview of the floor space index and coverage, when they are open and similarly Metro Water, which provides no objection certificate, focuses more on the quality of water in the pool rather than the safety mechanisms making the swimming pools vulnerable.
The responsibility lies with the occupiers or association to take necessary precautionary safety measures for the swimming pool by appointing proper coaches and provide required lifeguards and other related equipments, he says. Under the Town and Country Planning Act and the Development Regulations, the planning aspects such as land use, setbacks, coverage and parking are only prescribed and compliance is checked before issue of planning permission.
“The structural safety is examined under building rules. For lift, the operation is governed by the separate licensing authority. Similarly, fire safety aspects in multi-storied buildings are periodically inspected by department of fire and rescue services. Similarly, safety aspects in the functioning of the swimming pool may also be checked by the department of fire and rescue services,” he added.
Swimming pools across the state are vulnerable as they lack regulatory body to monitor safety mechanisms as neither the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority nor the Metro Water has powers to regulate it, according to planners.
The death of 10-year-old M Ranjan, who drowned during his swim class recently, is a wake-up call to the government to ensure there is a regulatory body to monitor safety mechanisms in swimming pools in the multi-storeyed buildings as well as schools so that such kind of accidents are prevented, according to Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI), Tamil Nadu Chapter chairman V M Marudachalam.
“Now swimming pools are mushrooming across the state with builders trying to provide such a facility to woo prospective buyers. As such there is a need to have a regulatory body,” Marudachalam said.
ITPI secretary Krishna Kumar said swimming pools are permitted in all floors in the building including the terrace floor and within the site. In certain buildings the swimming pool is proposed within the flat also. “The responsibility lies with the builder solely to provide safety measures and the structural stability of the swimming pool. Planners or CMDA hardly have any role and can’t be blamed. A competent authority would be the Chennai Corporation or department of fire and rescue services,” he added.
Former secretary of ITPI, R Shivakumar concurs with his view. He says as per CMDA regulations, swimming pools are exempted from the purview of the floor space index and coverage, when they are open and similarly Metro Water, which provides no objection certificate, focuses more on the quality of water in the pool rather than the safety mechanisms making the swimming pools vulnerable.
The responsibility lies with the occupiers or association to take necessary precautionary safety measures for the swimming pool by appointing proper coaches and provide required lifeguards and other related equipments, he says. Under the Town and Country Planning Act and the Development Regulations, the planning aspects such as land use, setbacks, coverage and parking are only prescribed and compliance is checked before issue of planning permission.
“The structural safety is examined under building rules. For lift, the operation is governed by the separate licensing authority. Similarly, fire safety aspects in multi-storied buildings are periodically inspected by department of fire and rescue services. Similarly, safety aspects in the functioning of the swimming pool may also be checked by the department of fire and rescue services,” he added.
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