Themed after East Indian Community villages, a Zero Carbon Park is soon to come up in Juhu. With Portuguese-inspired interiors, roadside crucifixes, grottoes, chapels and wells, the project is estimated to cost up to ₹2 crore. As per officials, the construction will be funded by the District Planning Development Committee. Further, after commission, it will be handed over to the BMC or Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP) for maintenance.
The idea came into being when East Indian representatives approached the Maharashtrian government, seeking land for building a community headquarters. Moreover, this particular space near the coast, was already reserved as a recreation space, hence as per officials, it would be appropriate for a park.
The park will be named after a lawyer who served as the Mumbai Mayor in the pre-independence era—Joseph Baptista, popularly known as Kaka Baptista. He was a prominent figure in the freedom movement and belonged to the East Indian community.
Having said that, the project still awaits approval from Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), which is expected to come by October end. Once the green signal is received, construction will likely finish in four months.
