Municipal Corporation of Tirupati loses 5 lakh due to renovation delay

Tirupati: The renovation works of swimming pool at Sri Srinivasam Sports Complex here going at a snail pace for the last six months. It is the only swimming pool for entire Tirupati city maintained by the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP).

More than 100 swimmers practice swimming daily in the pool. The Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) took an initiative to modernise the swimming pool with smart city funds. Renovation works of baby pool, main swimming pool, toilets and shower facility were taken up at cost of Rs 69 lakh.

The swimming pool was closed for renovation in January 2019. Since then, the contractor has been doing the works but not regularly. Due to delay in completion of renovation works, upcoming swimmers were unable to continue practice and MCT lost an income of Rs 5 lakh.

In summer season, there will be huge demand from children and adults to learn swimming. The civic authorities are saying non-availability of sand and other material has delayed works by few months.

Speaking to The Hans India, a swimmer Katari Janardhan Reddy said that municipal officials are not showing interest to complete the works. For the last three months, we have been asking officials concerned to complete the swimming pool works at the earliest, he rued.

MCT Commissioner V Vijaya Rama Raju said contractor has taken up laying tiles and pool renovation will be completed on or before June 20.