Residents challenge Auroville Foundation on tree felling

PUDUCHERRY: The working committee of the residents’ assembly has rebutted Auroville Foundation’s statement, saying ‘no unconditional or absolute permission to fell trees indiscriminately has been given’ by the Supreme Court.

Nowhere in the country can such a large-scale project proceed without environmental clearance, the committee said, adding that the scale, magnitude, and extent of land use of ensuing projects will change multiple geological, hydrological, and hydrogeological parameters on the Auroville Plateau. “Every major infra project in India requires reasonable safeguards, checks, balances, transparency, accountability and ecological robustness.”

Dismissing the claim that most of the trees cut were aggressive-invasive species such as Acacia auriculiformis, it said more than 100 different rare indigenous and rare tree species had been uprooted. Detailed development plans and project plans were not presented before the residents’ assembly or relevant authorities for approval, it said.

Multiple deviations, changes and errors were made and ecological parameters conveniently ignored, it said, adding that the master plan - perspective 2025 did not have the recognition of the Tamil Nadu planning authorities.

The foundation suspended the working committee in 2022 and reconstituted it with new members, but the committee said it was a statutory body that cannot be suspended without following necessary rules.