VILLUPURAM: Shedding light on the obstruction on the development of Crown Road in Auroville, the Working Committee of Auroville Foundation and the Auroville Town Development Council (ATDC) said that a group of residents have been causing trouble despite the authorities following the directive of the National Green Tribunal in clearing the Darkali area.
According to the release, trees in the area are being cut by local workers using chainsaws. However, a group of residents have been obstructing the work for decades, exacerbating the situation lately.
The release said the obstructors have been coming to the work site, unauthorised, and placing themselves between the chainsaws and the trees. This has not only hindered the work but has also put the workers in immense danger. The protesters, mostly women, have even taken away a chainsaw and sat on it. On one occasion, the release noted, a woman put her hand in the way of a chainsaw, almost causing a severe incident. Furthermore, due to the lack of women police forces, the situation has become a severe law and order problem.
To combat the obstruction, a group of 50 men and women (wage labourers) were brought in to clear the trees and help in warding off the obstructors, but to no avail. In one such instance, a protester pounced on a worker to grab his chainsaw and falsely accused him of being drunk. The situation was resolved only after an Auroville Foundation member arrived at the scene.
The release clarified that the chainsaw operators were not liable to the protesters. It also refuted the stories on social media, that accused the ATDC and the Auroville Foundation of wrongdoing.