**BMC Considers Handing Over Eight Swimming Pools to Private Players Under PPP Model**
*Mumbai:* In an effort to cut costs and enhance public participation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is mulling over handing control of eight of its 13 swimming pools to private players through a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Officials believe this move could save the civic body crores of rupees annually while offering citizens extended operating hours, improved facilities, and subsidised training programs for underprivileged children. Notably, membership fees will remain unchanged.
### Pools Selected for PPP Model
The swimming pools identified for this initiative include one Olympic-sized facility located in Kandivali, and seven smaller pools measuring 15×25 metres situated in Worli, Vikhroli, Andheri East, Andheri West, Malad West, Dahisar East, and Dahisar West.
Despite significant maintenance expenditure, BMC officials admit that most of these pools are operating at a loss due to low membership uptake. For instance:
– The Worli pool has only 2,270 members enrolled against a capacity of 2,750.
– The Andheri West pool has over 2,200 vacant memberships.
– Pools in Dahisar East, Malad West, and Vikhroli each have more than 1,800 empty slots.
– The Kandivali Olympic pool, with a capacity of 5,500, has only 1,790 active members.
– Even the better-utilized pools in Andheri East and Dahisar West have around 1,000 members each, leaving over 1,600 vacancies.
Currently, the BMC spends over Rs 70 lakh annually to maintain each small pool, with costs being significantly higher for the Olympic-sized pool.
“Private operators can invest in outreach and improve utilisation rates, while the civic body saves on salaries, electricity, water, and maintenance,” said a senior official, as quoted by *Hindustan Times*.
### Membership Charges and Operating Hours
Plans are underway for private operators to extend pool operating hours up to midnight, building on the success of BMC’s recent extension from 8 pm to 10 pm. Importantly, membership fees will remain fixed at Rs 9,283 annually for smaller pools and Rs 11,710 for the Kandivali Olympic pool.
Officials are optimistic about the profit potential for private players under this model.
### Inclusivity and Subsidised Training
To promote inclusivity, the BMC has mandated that private operators provide subsidised training for underprivileged children between noon and 4 pm—hours when pools are generally underutilised. Additionally, operators will be allowed to open pools on Mondays, which are currently closed.
### Next Steps
The BMC is in the process of appointing a financial consultant to assess the PPP model’s feasibility and recommend a suitable revenue-sharing structure. The consultant’s report is expected within a month and will guide the rollout of this initiative.
If successful, the civic body may expand the PPP model to its remaining pools and consider adopting a DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Transfer) model for future projects to reduce capital expenses.
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*Stay tuned for more updates on this potential transformation of Mumbai’s public swimming pool facilities.*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-bmc-plans-to-hand-over-8-swimming-pools-to-private-operators-under-ppp-model