Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Gross negligence in urban planning alleged

News in brief

On January 10, the members of L’Avenir d’Auroville, the Town Planning Council appointed by the Residents’ Assembly (RA-TDC), informed the community that it had sent a letter to high government officials addressing critical concerns about ongoing developments in the Auroville project area.

Cyclone Fengal hits Auroville

Feature, By Carel

The ‘Lego block’ wall between sections 1 and 2 of the Matrimandir Lake broke in the middle and at the banks

On November 25, meteorologists of the India Meteorological Department observed a deep depression forming in the Bay of Bengal. Their initial forecast was that the depression would weaken and that a cyclone would not form, as the depression was moving at the unusually slow speed of 3 kmph, far below the typical cyclone speed of 10-12 kmph.

“I’m very concerned about Auroville’s planning future”

An interview with Prashant Hedao, By Carel

Former Governing Board member Dr B.V. Doshi discusses the Auroville Master Plan with Prashant in 2010, while Tejaswini and Meera look on

Prashant Hedao was the Regional Planning Coordinator of L’Avenir d’Auroville, Auroville’s Town Planning Department, from 2007-2010. In those years he worked closely together with then Governing Board member Dr BV Doshi on the Auroville Master Plan.

The bill for the hill

An interview with Arun Ambathy (Major ret’d), By Alan

The cleared forest area intended for the hill. “The hill, in providing a wonderful viewpoint of both the Matrimandir and the sea, will encourage real estate speculation and the growth of tourist facilities in the area

On 6th January, 2012, Michael Bonke, along with Toine van Megen and Harald Kraft, made a presentation to the Auroville community about Auroville’s future energy and drinking water needs [published in AVToday # 271, February 2012].

Forest clearances continue apace

News in brief

A 6 metre wide road has been cleared through Auroville’s Northern Forest Area (NFA), in order to gain access to the area that has been earmarked for a 30 meter tall hill to be built from the soil excavated from the Matrimandir Lake.

The Right of Way debate

Feature, By Editors

Illustration: Right of Ways according to the 2025 Master Plan

A year ago, in February 2020, there was an attempt to survey a route through the Youth Centre and Bliss forest for the laying of a High Tension cable.

Why be square about circles?

Feature, By Christoph Pohl

Bliss forest is a city park that is densely planted to be a forest. Aurovilians from South Korea may be familiar with a similar concept in the city of Seoul.

Horizontal directional drilling at Varuna Beach

An interview with Toby, By Carel

Google Earth map showing the route of the pipelines

More than a year ago, in its June-July issue 2015, Auroville Today examined the challenges of meeting the city’s future water requirements. One option, that of providing desalinated water, is actively being pursued by Varuna Pvt.

The AV desalination plant project

An interview with Michael Bonke, By Alan

Michael Bonke is a long-time friend of Auroville who has been instrumental in initiating and funding major projects in the community. One of the aims of Varuna, a company he set up and runs with a team of Aurovilians, is “to build and operate a small desalination plant which can supply water to Auroville, for the future Matrimandir Lake and the nearby villages”.