Reliance Foundation to build 100-acre 'Anant Ashray' township for 5,000 people in Karjat

Reliance Foundation is to build a large residential township on 100 acres at Karjat, near Mumbai. Nita Ambani, founder and chairperson of the foundation, announced the project. The township is named 'Anant Ashray'. More than 5,000 people in need will get a home for life there, with their daily care arranged on site.

The project aims to give a home to orphaned children, senior citizens and people with disabilities. A bhoomipujan and foundation-laying ceremony was held on Sunday at the hands of Nita M. Ambani. The work is said to be due to be completed in several phases.

Caregiving staff, health services, doctors and other support staff will live alongside the residents. In all, a community of about 15,000 people will settle at Anant Ashray. Housing, specialised medical treatment, rehabilitation, education and vocational training will all be available in one place.

Nita Ambani said the main aim of the project is to give people who need long-term care a safe home, health services and opportunities to move ahead. She said: "For me and my family, 'Nita Mukesh Ambani Anant Ashray' is a new beginning close to our hearts. It is an important step towards building a loving home for people with disabilities, children in need of a home, and senior citizens looking for love, care and support." According to her, the aim is to build a community that offers a family-like warmth through humanity, care and medical help.

Nita Ambani also said: "It is my heartfelt wish as a mother that parents who cared for their children all their lives, and who live in worry about them after they are gone, find peace of mind here. They should have the assurance that my child will live all their life in a safe home, in a loving, family-like atmosphere." She said she hoped every person of every age would get the chance to live with dignity and look at each new day with hope.

Eight residential villages named after Indian rivers will be set up in the township. Each village will have its own distinct colour, symbols and sensory gardens, so that residents can easily recognise their area and move about without worry. The homes will have a family-like atmosphere. Each home will have a dedicated caregiver and staff who take on the role of parents. A separate care plan will be drawn up for every resident, covering health services, education, skills, employment and personal wellbeing, and it will be reviewed at least every six months. The campus will also have a hospital, a temple, playgrounds, gardens, farming, workshops and cafes.

The hospital will offer developmental medicine, epilepsy treatment, dental care for patients with special needs, and palliative care to ease pain and improve quality of life. Rehabilitation will include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and hydrotherapy. There will also be sports and recreation facilities, special education services, a regular school for the children of staff, and an animal shelter centre to be built under the supervision of experts from 'Vantara'.

A bakery, a cafe and a handicrafts centre will be started in the township, giving residents job training and employment opportunities. Temporary stay facilities to give families some rest, mobile medical clinics and a palliative care department are also planned. A national training academy to prepare trained people for the care of persons with disabilities will also be set up.

Some selected services will also be offered to surrounding villages and districts. About 1,000 people in the area are expected to benefit from treatment, education and employment opportunities. Awareness programmes, temporary care services and community health services are also planned. Special attention will be given to people with complex medical problems.

Reliance Foundation is the social and philanthropic arm of Reliance. Its work spans health, education, rural transformation, sports, disaster management, women's empowerment, urban development, and arts and culture. The benefits of its initiatives have reached more than 10 crore people in more than 98,000 villages and urban areas across the country.