According to the manual, the swimming pools will have to make a clear demarcation of novice and advanced learners. (Representational image)

Kolkata: A week before the city swimming pools open for swimmers and learners, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Monday told the pool authorities to abide by the safety guidelines that the civic body had issued in February.

“We have our team of officers who will keep a strict vigil on all the swimming pools under our jurisdiction. If we find that a pool is flouting these guidelines, we will not renew its licence the next season. We cannot compromise on the safety aspect,” Debasish Kumar, mayor in council (parks & gardens) said.  

The KMC came out with a safety manual for ensuring safety for learners and  swimmers in the swimming pools in February in the wake of the death of a 22-year old BSc student of Calcutta University Sangita Das in May last year at Hedua swimming pool in North Kolkata.

According to the manual, the swimming pools will have to make a clear demarcation of novice and advanced learners. There should be at least one trainer for every 20 learners. In case of a natural water body that is used for swimming, there will be one trainer per 15 learners. In case of children, guardians have been urged not to leave their wards while they are being trained in swimming.

All children under 13 years of age have to  be accompanied in the water by a parent or a guardian. “There should be a ratio of one guardian for every forth child,” a KMC official said.

Among other guidelines, the manual states that there should be professional pool lifeguard during the operational hours of a pool for both supervising and acting promptly, whenever there is a case of emergency.