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1.5    EXISTING LAND USE

 
     

     
 

1.5.1    Since the inception of the township, the land use cover has changed considerably. From a barren and marginal land in 1968, today it has become a developed and productive land, entirely through the efforts of Aurovilians. Out of 20 sq. km of the designated area of the township, about 12% is presently developed for urban uses and the rest is under agriculture, plantation and other non-urban uses. The land use pattern given in Table 1 and shown in Drawing 4, illustrates that in the developed area about 40% is Residential. The next important land use in the township is public and semi-public and accounts for about 28% of the developed area. Commercial, manufacturing and other economic activities constitute about 12%. About 13% is under roads and streets serving both urban and non-urban uses.

Table 1 : Existing Land Use - 2000

Land Use
Extent (ha)
%

A. Developed Area
    1. Residential
95
40.9
             a) Village settlements
20
             b) Auroville communities
75
    2. Commercial
19
8.2
    3. Manufacturing & Economic activities
10
4.3
    4. Public & Semi-Public uses including
        peace area, gardens and area
        under administration / institution.
65
28.0
    5. Roads / Streets
30
13.0
    6. Recreational (playgrounds)
13
5.6

        Sub Total
232
100.0

Land Use
Extent (ha)
%

B. Unbuilt Area
    1. Regenerated land
598
34.5
    2. Agriculture
             a) Agricultural & related research
50
2.9
             b) Farming
940
54.3
    3. Water Bodies
45
2.6
    4. Canyon, waste and other lands
98
5.7

Sub Total
1731
100.0

Grand Total                                                  1963


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1.5.2      After Auroville came into being, the early residents with their hard work in collaboration with villagers built check dams across canyons, put up a large number of bunds to check soil erosion, and planted and reared trees in large numbers. Over two million trees were planted during the last 32 years. A good part of this work was carried out with support from Government of India projects such as Waste Land Regeneration, Watershed Management and Reforestation projects. All this contributed in regenerating the barren land into a productive and developable site for urban and green uses.

 
 

 

A.        DEVELOPED AREA

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1.5.3       
The Residential Area comprises both village settlements and Auroville community settlements.
a)        Village settlements: There are six village settlements within the Auroville township area, with houses mostly made of mud and thatch. Several of these have recently been upgraded or converted by the inhabitants into semi-pucca and pucca structures. As in any traditional small village settlement, other economic uses are mixed with residential usage either in the same structure or in independent small structures.

 
 



Village settlement


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b)
       Auroville Communities: At present there are 95 Auroville residential communities. These communities range from 3 to 80 residential units. Apart from these, there are a few houses in smaller clusters. The residential units consist of individual dwellings as well as apartments; the latter are becoming more common. There are a few communities just outside the designated area of the township, which came up in the early years of Auroville's development, occupying about 100 ha.

 

 
 

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1.5.4     The Commercial area in the Township includes retail services providing for food and other items of daily necessity, community eating places, guest houses, and the Visitors Information Centre with its exhibition space and sales section of products made in Auroville.

 
 

 

1.5.5    The Manufacturing use includes about 100 large and small manufacturing and processing units, the products of which are marketed locally as well as internationally. The extent of land occupied by such units ranges from small plots of 50-75 sq. m. to 5 ha.

 
 

 

1.5.6    Public and Semi-Public uses include amenities such as schools, health facilities, services and utilities. The Peace area, forming part of the public and semi-public uses, is the most special area in Auroville. It is the centre of Auroville, which contains the Matrimandir - the soul of Auroville, the Urn and the Amphitheatre consecrated at the foundation ceremony, the central Banyan tree, the lake and the well laid-out gardens around the Matrimandir.

     
 

 

1.5.7    Administrative and Institutional uses include mainly the administrative centre housed in the Indian National Pavilion (Bharat Nivas) and the Auroville Foundation offices.

 
 

 

1.5.8    Recreational uses at present are mainly in the form of a few playgrounds located close to residential communities, such as the Centre Field and Certitude play area.


 
 



The Kuilapalayam - Certitude Road
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1.5.9    Roads provide access to Auroville from the East Coast Road and the Pondicherry-Tindivanam road. However, within the township there are temporary gravel and mud roads providing access to various facilities/settlements in Auroville, some of which will be replaced once the planned roads are built.

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B.        UNBUILT AREA

 
 

 

1.5.10    Regenerated areas: From the beginning, Aurovilians have been engaged in land regeneration activities and the creation of a hospitable and sustainable habitat. The trees planted have modified the stark landscape and have begun to fulfil the prophecy of Kaluveli Siddhar mentioned earlier. The plantations not only have improved the environment but have also restored the land for productive agriculture by preventing soil erosion. Plantations include both indigenous as well as exotic species. In some of these areas, nearly extinct indigenous tree species such as those found in and around temples have been re-established.

 
 




Forest
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1.5.11    Agriculture and Related uses include lands used by Aurovilians either for food production (including vegetables and fruits) needed by residents, or for research in improving farm practices and diversifying cropping patterns. The Auro-Orchard and Pitchandikulam medicinal herbal stations are some typical examples. In most of the cases both production and research are carried out together. Most of these are based on organic farming practices.

 

 

1.5.12    Farming includes lands generally used by the villagers for growing paddy, casuarina or other crops including cashew.

 
 




Rice field
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1.5.13    Water bodies : There are five 'eris' in the area of which two are large in size, namely the Irumbai eri and the Alankuppam eri. These are seasonal water bodies which help irrigate small extents of land particularly after the rainy season.

 
 

 

1.5.14    Canyons and other Waste Lands: The canyons are a unique feature in the landscape of Auroville and its surroundings. These deep gullies have been formed due to erosion. Some of them are 2.5 km long, 20-30 m. wide and 2-5 m. deep. The large ones are outside the designated township area in the east and south. These problem areas could be converted into opportunities for water management, land regeneration, farming and supplying drinking water needs. Besides, there are some patches of poramboke and other lands classified as waste.

 
 

 

1.5.15    Considering the emerging land use structure, the entire Auroville township is sensitive from environmental and ecological points of view. The areas under check dams, regenerated lands, and plantation are some of the important environmental resources for developing the township in a sustainable manner. It points to the necessity of orderly and planned development of human habitation embedded in a regenerated natural environment.

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Irumbai tank
 

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