CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has permitted Auroville Foundation to complete the disputed Crown Road project, but has mandated getting environment clearance for further constructions.
The bench comprising Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member K Satyagopal said the construction may be permitted as only a small portion of the road work is left to be completed. However, the tribunal directed a joint panel comprising the Villupuram District Collector, and an officer of the rank of conservator of forest to inspect the area.
The joint panel is directed to ascertain whether there are any water bodies/streams existing in the area where the road passes, and a reduction in the width of the road in certain areas will minimise the tree felling. It has been asked to submit the report within two months until which time the foundation is directed not to cut trees. The road work on the stretches where there are no trees can be resumed.
In future constructions, the tribunal directed the foundation to prepare a proper township plan either in the 778 hectares, which is in their possession now, or in the 1,963 hectares visualised by ‘the Mother’ (Mirra Alfassa, who established the town), by identifying the locations where each zone be located, where the roads will have to be laid, and for industries.
“Then, apply for environmental clearance under Environment Impact Assessment notification. Till then, they (Auroville Foundation) are directed not to proceed with further construction in the project area,” the green bench said while disposing of the petition filed by an Auroville resident who opposed the tree felling.
The petitioner Navroz Mody said the master plan does not propose that forests with endangered flora and a number of species of fauna be destroyed for the construction of a road envisaged in the master plan. The proposed road cannot be built in the exact shape specified therein, the petitioner said.
The ‘road plan’
The contentious crown road is a master plan ring road of 4.3 km. The last part of the crown right-of-way with 16.07 m was being cleared when it was stalled by the NGT. The land area of the crown RoW is only 0.36% of the total Auroville Master Plan area