Cidco plans 14 old age homes across Navi Mumbai

The City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) is going to construct 14 `virangula kendras' (old age homes) to ensure that senior citizens are not denied care. These homes will be built across Navi Mumbai by the end of 2016.

The plan was proposed as a part of the smart city project of Cidco, which was inaugurated on 4 December by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"We have identified around 14 locations across three nodes - Kharghar, Kamothe and Panvel. All the locations are inside the public gardens of Cidco. The area of viralgula kendra will be designed according to the free space inside the garden. If the garden has one hectare of free space, we will construct the structure on a 30 square metre area," Anupama Karnama, senior planner, Cidco, said.

''I will be looking after the construction of six virangula kendras - two in Kamothe and four in the Kalamboli area. The structures will have a room with an attached bathroom to it for each senior citizen,'' Kiran Phanse, superintendent engineer, Cidco, said, adding, the structures will have basic facilities and interactive games for the senior citizens.

The old age homes will also have furniture and games like carom board. Once built, the kendras will be handed over to registered trusts for maintenance. The 14 old age homes are going to be built on a budget of around Rs1.25 crore and is a part of 'Inclusive cities' of the proposed smart city plan by Cidco.