Britain’s Prince Charles is building an eco-friendly model village for about 15,000 poor people in India, the Daily Mail, a British tabloid newspaper, reported.
The multi-million-dollar venture, inspired by the slums depicted in Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire,” will include schools, shops and 3,000 homes.
The Prince of Wales’ village will be built on a 25-acre wasteland on the outskirts of either Kolkata or Bangalore. It is modeled on Poundbury in England, which has been Charles’ 30-year-old pet project.
Construction for the Indian village is set to begin in the autumn. The project is the first of a series of eco-developments in India by the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment charity.
The new town, mainly for low-caste people, will have features that Charles has championed for decades.
The project comes after Charles praised Mumbai’s Dharavi slum, featured in the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire.” The prince admired Dharvi’s harmony and level of self-organization.
Charles has been to India many times, most recently with his wife Camilla during the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
(
swchun@heraldcorp.com)
