The foundation stone for Chandigarh Municipal Corporation's Sensory Park near the existing Institute for the Blind at Sector 26 in Chandigarh, was recently laid. The proposed park will be India's first such facility for the visually impaired.
Speaking to Projectmonitor, K.R. Sood, Principal and Honorary Secretary of the Institute said that the Sensory Park, intended to develop the senses of touch, taste and hearing, will be established on 1-2 acres of land. With construction work underway, the park should be ready by March-end. The project, estimated to be Rs.12 lakh, will be entirely financed by the state government.
The Park, enclosed by a boundary wall and fencing will have 6ft wide and 500ft long concrete walking track with an approach to a hut at the centre. It will have suitable lighting, sound system, a fountain and host of aromatic plants and shrubs such as jasmine, mint, neem, tulsi, strawberry, bamboo, grapes etc. By "exploring" these facilities, visually-challenged children will develop senses of taste, touch and sound, Sood observed.
Catering to school children in the morning and evening, the park will be open to public in the daytime. Besides Chandigarh, the facility will also benefit neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, Sood noted.