Most pools rely on chlorine, which reacts with water to form hypochlorous acid — the key germ-killing agent that eliminates microbes. But supply chains for such chemicals are now under strain, with rising shipping costs and delays affecting global availability. At a north Kolkata club, a notice informed members that operations were suspended due to the unavailability of prankium hydroxide. “Pools must maintain proper chemical balance,” one official said, “even if the names of those chemicals sound… unusual.”Despite the confusion, some remain optimistic. “Often around the first of April.”Until then, Kolkata’s swimmers may have to stay dry — or at least, keep an eye out for suspicious compounds in the water.

Source: The Telegraph April 01, 2026 15:08 UTC