The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a ₹23-crore tender for the construction of a new swimming pool at the AK Vaidya Ground. This project, over a decade in the making, aims to fill a void in swimming facilities between Shivaji Park and Andheri West.
The new swimming pool will serve not only Bandra West but also Bandra East, Khar West and East, and Santacruz West and East. Currently, residents from these areas travel to Shivaji Park in Dadar to access the nearest civic-run swimming pool. Rahebar Khan, a corporator of BMC ward no 97, initially proposed the swimming pool in 2009-10. However, the project saw little progress until his wife, Mumtaz Khan, took over as corporator in 2017 and continued to push the initiative forward. The project faced further delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but renewed efforts in 2023 led to the BMC’s approval.
Mumtaz Khan, in a letter to the BMC dated October 2, 2023, emphasised the community’s need for a local swimming pool. The designated site for the pool was originally reserved for a playground, but the BMC approved the inclusion of the pool within the playground area. A BMC official noted that the pool will occupy 30% of the playground area, leaving the remaining 70% for public use, thereby balancing the needs for both recreational facilities and open space. The swimming pool, while not Olympic-sized, will be a training pool measuring 15×25 metres. The official proposal for the pool was approved last month, with the contractor selection process expected to conclude by July 30. Construction is anticipated to begin in September, weather permitting, with the pool slated to open to the public by August 2025. In the past year, the BMC has built six new swimming pools across Mumbai in areas such as Andheri East, Andheri West, Malad, Dahisar, Worli, and Vikhroli.
Local residents have expressed enthusiasm about the new facility. A long-time resident of Bandra stated, “We have been living here for 40 years and definitely look forward to such developments.”
