Planning for a township

In India, all places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board or notified town area committee, so declared by a state law, are called statutory towns. Census towns are places which have a minimum population of 5,000; where at least 75 per cent of the male main working population is engaged in non-agricultural pursuits; and which has a density of population of at least 400 persons per sq. km. Towns with population of 100,000 and above are called cities. 

The Auroville Foundation Act 1988, though referring in its preamble to Auroville as “a cultural township” does not confer any statutory status on Auroville; it has not declared Auroville to be a town as defined in Indian laws. The Act only mentions that it is the responsibility of the Governing Board “to prepare a master-plan of Auroville in consultation with the Residents Assembly and to ensure development of Auroville as so planned.” 

In Tamil Nadu, all planning issues are the responsibility of the Tamil Nadu Government. As the Government of Tamil Nadu has never notified Auroville as a town, Auroville does not have a statutory status of itself. It is for this reason that Auroville must prepare a “proposed land use plan” for the city and greenbelt areas. Only when such a land use plan has been approved by the Government of Tamil Nadu, will it become binding.

The Auroville Universal Township Master Plan, Perspective 2025, was published in February 2002. It was prepared for a time frame of 20-25 years. On the basis of this Master Plan, a land use plan is being developed. The plan will include:

1) Reference to the Auroville master plan with the four zones and the essential  networks as per the concept plan of the galaxy

2) Maps of the existing land use, including roads and village and Auroville settlements 

3) No-build areas where there are established woodlands, ravines, and ecologically fragile zones

4) Marking of hydro-geological zones for ground water tapping, replenishing and protection from pollution

5) Maps of existing and proposed national / state and district developments (roads, railways) 

6) Hydrological maps, e.g. marking of aquifer usage 

7) Identification of surface water storage areas for rainwater harvesting 

8) Identification of area that is topographically suitable for gravity based decentralized sewage treatment.

Together with the proposed Land Use Plan, Development Controls and Building Regulations documents need to be made. 

The detailed development plans define, describe, locate and budget the programmes and projects along with policies to develop the required civic amenities, social and public infrastructure based on projected growth, to meet the needs of the existing population along with the projected target population for the next 5 years.