Panaji: The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has moved to set up a Rs 4 crore play and enrichment centre for neurodivergent children, particularly children on the autism spectrum at Caranzalem.The facility will feature sensory-friendly play areas, art and music spaces, sensory gardens, care rooms and life skills training areas for older youth, aimed at creating a welcoming support space for neurodivergent children, young adults and their families.CCP has floated a tender to appoint a design consultant for the project, with a proposed consultancy fee of Rs 20 lakh. In mid-April, CCP mayor Rohit Monserrate held a meeting to review plans with design consultants Abhijit Murugkar and Priya Ranade to discuss the enrichment centre as part of ongoing efforts towards creating inclusive infrastructure in the state capital.According to CCP commissioner Clen Madeira, the project will take a year to complete once the work order is issued. The appointed consultant will be responsible for preparing a detailed architectural design, sensory-sensitive spatial planning and compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The design and detailed project report for the facility is expected to take one month.The centre, as envisaged by CCP, will include indoor inclusive play and recreation zones, outdoor motor skills activity structures, nature exploration decks, sheltered sand and water play stations, counselling and consultation rooms, caregiver support spaces and transition and life skills facilities for young adults aged 16 to 25.The design brief for the centre also mandates a sensory garden with aromatic and tactile plants, therapeutic landscape planting and infrastructure including acoustic treatment, sensory-aware lighting, rainwater harvesting and solar-powered illumination.
