Look before you make a splash
Many swimming camps spring up in the summer, but most give safety measures the short shrift
Plunging into a swimming pool is fun, has great health benefits, is a constructive way to spend thesummer holidays and beat the heat. In the city, swimming is a popular pursuit and running a summer camp is a profitable business. However, while many camps have mushroomed in the city to take advantage of the demand, most of them have little or no experience in coaching.
Safety too is questionable, especially since there is a dearth of qualified coaches. The biggest safety concerns surround apartment pools and camps in residential complexes. “The civic agency must have some kind of licensing authority; otherwise anybody who owns a pool and is out to make a quick buck can start a summer camp,” says Pradeep Kumar, head coach of Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre. “Safety regulations must be in place and civic bodies must monitor pools.”
Swimming is inherently a dangerous sport and experts say safety measures must be put in place. The Delhi Municipal Corporation (North, South, and East), for example, appoints a senior coach from the Sports Authority of India to inspect swimming pools before handing out a licence. The same process is followed to renew permits. “Unfortunately, no such procedure is followed by the BBMP,” said TD Vijayraghavan, vice-president, Karnataka Swimming Association (KSA). “We have asked officials many times to draft regulations and guidelines to be followed before licensing pools, but nothing has been done so far.”
There have been incidents of drowning. Chandrashekhar Nagesh, a final-year BBM student, drowned in a swimming pool in Thanisandra in July 2012. Only a day prior to Nagesh’s death, a 26-year-old banker drowned in the Best Club swimming pool in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
Before you enrol » Choose centres/clubs which follow safety norms. Choose a pool which is affiliated to the Karnataka Swimming Association where experienced and certified lifeguards are available.
» Verify the credentials of lifeguards in resorts before plunging into the pool.
» If you have enrolled in a private/residential pool, make sure you don’t go to swim alone at any time. Always go to the pool with someone who knows how to swim. Even if there are lifeguards, a responsible adult must supervise children.
» For infant swimming, ensure the coaches are certified and trained to conduct infant swimming classes.
Before you enrol » Choose centres/clubs which follow safety norms. Choose a pool which is affiliated to the Karnataka Swimming Association where experienced and certified lifeguards are available.
» Verify the credentials of lifeguards in resorts before plunging into the pool.
» If you have enrolled in a private/residential pool, make sure you don’t go to swim alone at any time. Always go to the pool with someone who knows how to swim. Even if there are lifeguards, a responsible adult must supervise children.
» For infant swimming, ensure the coaches are certified and trained to conduct infant swimming classes.
MAKING BABIES SWIM
Infant swimming is a new fad that is gaining popularity among urban parents. Children as young as six months can be made to swim. Exposing babies to water drastically reduces the chances of a child developing fear of water and also encourages the desire to swim. But the practice demands enhanced safety.
“Babies lose heat more quickly than adults, so the pool temperature should not be too cold and the baby should not remain in the pool for too long,” Vijayraghavan said. “Also, the chlorine or ozone used in treating pools would inhibit infections. It’s a good idea to wait until the baby completes a standard course of immunisation against diphtheria, tetanus and oral polio.”
Plunging into a swimming pool is fun, has great health benefits, is a constructive way to spend the
Safety too is questionable, especially since there is a dearth of qualified coaches. The biggest safety concerns surround apartment pools and camps in residential complexes. “The civic agency must have some kind of licensing authority; otherwise anybody who owns a pool and is out to make a quick buck can start a summer camp,” says Pradeep Kumar, head coach of Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre. “Safety regulations must be in place and civic bodies must monitor pools.”
Swimming is inherently a dangerous sport and experts say safety measures must be put in place. The Delhi Municipal Corporation (North, South, and East), for example, appoints a senior coach from the Sports Authority of India to inspect swimming pools before handing out a licence. The same process is followed to renew permits. “Unfortunately, no such procedure is followed by the BBMP,” said TD Vijayraghavan, vice-president, Karnataka Swimming Association (KSA). “We have asked officials many times to draft regulations and guidelines to be followed before licensing pools, but nothing has been done so far.”
There have been incidents of drowning. Chandrashekhar Nagesh, a final-year BBM student, drowned in a swimming pool in Thanisandra in July 2012. Only a day prior to Nagesh’s death, a 26-year-old banker drowned in the Best Club swimming pool in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
Reputed pools in the city are now making conscious efforts to restrict the number of children enrolling for camps. “At Basavanagudi pool, we will ensure that the coach and swimmer ratio does not exceed 1:15 for an experienced coach,” said Neelkanta Rao Jagadale, president, KSA.
Before you enrol » Choose centres/clubs which follow safety norms. Choose a pool which is affiliated to the Karnataka Swimming Association where experienced and certified lifeguards are available.
» Verify the credentials of lifeguards in resorts before plunging into the pool.
» If you have enrolled in a private/residential pool, make sure you don’t go to swim alone at any time. Always go to the pool with someone who knows how to swim. Even if there are lifeguards, a responsible adult must supervise children.
» For infant swimming, ensure the coaches are certified and trained to conduct infant swimming classes.
Before you enrol » Choose centres/clubs which follow safety norms. Choose a pool which is affiliated to the Karnataka Swimming Association where experienced and certified lifeguards are available.
» Verify the credentials of lifeguards in resorts before plunging into the pool.
» If you have enrolled in a private/residential pool, make sure you don’t go to swim alone at any time. Always go to the pool with someone who knows how to swim. Even if there are lifeguards, a responsible adult must supervise children.
» For infant swimming, ensure the coaches are certified and trained to conduct infant swimming classes.
MAKING BABIES SWIM
Infant swimming is a new fad that is gaining popularity among urban parents. Children as young as six months can be made to swim. Exposing babies to water drastically reduces the chances of a child developing fear of water and also encourages the desire to swim. But the practice demands enhanced safety.
“Babies lose heat more quickly than adults, so the pool temperature should not be too cold and the baby should not remain in the pool for too long,” Vijayraghavan said. “Also, the chlorine or ozone used in treating pools would inhibit infections. It’s a good idea to wait until the baby completes a standard course of immunisation against diphtheria, tetanus and oral polio.”
