After witnessing multiple delays, cost revisions and technical hurdles over the last decade, the indoor eight-lane Olympic-level swimming pool at Matak Majri village in Indri is finally set to become operational. It is claimed that it will be fully operational by mid-July.
The much-awaited project remained non-functional despite being inaugurated nearly one-and-a-half years ago by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. However, with the completion of pending formalities and installation of essential services, the authorities have now expressed confidence that the facility will soon be opened for swimmers and sports enthusiasts.
An official associated with the project said this project was announced by the then CM Manohar Lal Khattar on June 4, 2015. The Panchayati Raj Department was assigned the task of completing the work. The project witnessed several setbacks since its inception. Originally, it was a five-lane indoor swimming pool with an estimated cost of Rs 3.05 crore. The construction work commenced in October 2015 with a target completion date of October 2017.
However, within a year of the start of construction, the residents demanded expansion of the pool to accommodate a larger number of swimmers and enable it to host higher-level competitions. Responding to the demand, the government decided to upgrade the project from a five-lane pool to an eight-lane Olympic-standard facility.
After the revision, the project cost was increased to around Rs 5.6 crore and formal approval for the expansion was granted in April 2017. A fresh deadline of April 2019 was fixed for the completion of the upgraded facility. The same construction agency that had initially started the work was assigned responsibility for the expanded project.
Despite the revised plans, the project continued to face hurdles. During construction, a vigilance team conducted an inquiry and allegedly detected a couple of flaws in the work, after which a portion of the structure had to be dismantled and reconstructed, leading to further delays, an official claimed.
He further said the COVID-19 pandemic dealt another major blow to the construction schedule. “After the outbreak of Covid-19, the work came to a standstill and remained suspended for nearly two-and-a-half years. Shortage of funds was also a major challenge during this period,” the official said.
An official said against the revised project cost, an amount of Rs 4.94 crore had so far been released for the construction and development of the facility. The construction was completed and CM Nayab Singh Saini inaugurated the project on December 23, 2024, but it was lying non-functional in the absence of a power connection and motor for water. “The primary reason behind the delay in commencing operations was the absence of a power connection, which is essential for running filtration systems and maintaining water quality,” he added.
It was allegedly due to the lack of coordination between the Panchayati Raj Department and the Sports Department over responsibility for obtaining the electricity connection that further delayed the work. As a result, the project remained idle despite being formally inaugurated.
After taking charge as the Karnal Deputy Commissioner, Anand Kumar Sharma took note of the non-operational project and directed the officials concerned to ensure that the swimming pool became functional at the earliest.
Following the DC’s intervention, the Panchayati Raj Department has started the finishing work as well as the handing over process to the Sports Department. As per sources, it will be handed over to the Sports Department in a couple of days; thereafter, the Sports Department will apply for power connection, for which it has started the process.
Satyavir Singh, District Sports Officer (DSO), said they would take over charge of the building in a couple of days and thereafter apply for power connections and complete other formalities to make it operational.
“The officials have been asked to make the swimming pool fully operational at the earliest,” said the Deputy Commissioner, expressing confidence that the project would be dedicated to the public by mid-July.Once operational, the state-of-the-art indoor swimming pool is expected to provide a major boost to swimming in the region, he added.
For the residents of Indri and surrounding areas, the opening of the long-delayed project will mark the end of a decade-long wait and the beginning of a new chapter for the sports infrastructure in the region. “We are happy that this facility is going to start soon. It will provide us with a facility at our doorstep,” said Nikhil, a resident.
wuw