Gadag-Betgeri shayad state ka eklauta shehar hai jahan youth empowerment and sports department (DYES) ke maintain kiye hue chaar swimming pools hain. Department ne coaching camps aur regular visitors ke liye concessional passes shuru kiye hain, jiski wajah se bachchon aur mahilaon samet hazaron swimmers in facilities ka bharpoor istemal kar rahe hain.
DYES Gadag ke assistant director Sharanu Gogeri ne TOI ko bataya ki ye chaaron swimming pools—KH Patil District Stadium Swimming Pool, Nandishwar Nagar Swimming Pool, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar Swami Vivekanand Swimming Pool aur Vasantsingh Jamadar Nagar Swimming Pool — ko Gadag-Betgeri City Municipal Council ne banwaya tha aur kuch saal pehle DYES ko handover kar diya gaya tha.
Unhone kaha, “Humne 45 minutes ke liye sirf Rs 50 ki nominal fee rakhi hai aur sabhi standard operation procedures follow karke pools maintain kar rahe hain, isi wajah se logon ki bheed badh rahi hai. April aur May mein Monday se Friday tak lagbhag 400 swimmers aa rahe hain, Saturdays ko kareeb 600 log aur Sundays ko around 1,000 log facilities ka use kar rahe hain. Regular swimmers ke liye humne Rs 1,000 ka monthly pass bhi rakha hai.”
Unhone aage kaha, “Hum bachchon, mahilaon aur public ke liye alag-alag batches mein 21 din ke coaching camps bhi conduct kar rahe hain, jiska fee Rs 3,000 per person hai. Sabhi pools par qualified coaches appoint kiye gaye hain. Humne women ke liye shaam ke do batches reserve kiye hain. Hamare kai swimmers competitions mein participate karke shehar ka naam roshan kar rahe hain. Padosi shahron aur gaonon ke residents bhi garmi se rahat paane ke liye in pools mein aa rahe hain.”
Gadag Zilla Vikas Vedike ke president Vishwanath Khanapur ne kaha ki ye swimming pools middle-class logon ke liye kisi oasis se kam nahi hain. “Gadag mein lakes, streams aur rivers ki kami hai, isliye log swimming pools par depend kar rahe hain. Public ke liye fee affordable hai, lekin DYES ko primary aur high school students ke liye ise Rs 30 tak kam kar dena chahiye,” unhone kaha.
College student Manasa Godachappanavar ne yaad karte hue bataya ki private pools mein unhe 45 minutes ke liye Rs 100 se zyada dene padte the. “Ab hum wahi service 50% kam fee mein use kar rahe hain. Bas ek cheez hai ki DYES ko female swimmers aur trainees ke liye female coaches appoint karni chahiye,” unhone apni rai di.
