LAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN for Lands Owned by Auroville Outside the City and Greenbelt Area
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LAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN for lands owned by Auroville outside the City and Greenbelt Area Final Report Volume 1 July 2013 Submitted to: URBANnetworks LRD Task Force and FAMC Urban Development Consultants Contents Volume 1 1. Introduction 5 2. Regional Context 14 3. Planning Context 23 Review of statutory documents and other relevant initiatives 25 4. Market Analysis 37 5. Study Area Analysis 54 6. Conclusion 127 Appendices A. Profiles of Potential Partners 132 B. Additional Property Information 149 C. Site Surveys and Interview Details 166 1. Introduction The principle that assets should be owned Introduction collectively has manifested in Auroville in that there is no ownership of commercial and non-commercial Auroville, a universal township located in the units. The management of the funds and assets of southern state of Tamil Nadu in India, was founded Auroville falls under the responsibility of the Funds on 28th February 1968. Located 150 km south and Assets Management Committee (FAMC) that of Chennai and 12 km north of Pondicherry, the has been set up by the Governing Board of the township will be built to support a population Auroville Foundation. One of the major assets of 50,000 residents, in accordance with a includes the land resources within and around the Government of India gazetted Master Plan. The designated master planning area of the township. township is recognized internationally as an on going experiment in human unity and a research The Auroville Foundation (AVF) presently owns ground for sustainable living and the future cultural, nearly 2000 acres of land in the ‘Master Plan Area’ environmental, social and spiritual needs of (including the City Area and the Green Belt Area). mankind. It has today a sizeable reservoir of people In addition, the foundation also owns about 450 ha specially skilled in and dedicated towards the (1100 acres) of land outside the city and Green Belt promotion of sustainable development, even though area - “Outlying Lands”. These “outlying lands” are its present population is less than 2,500. envisioned to support the following uses: The Auroville Foundation Act, passed by the Indian • Auroville’s own usage for agriculture and Parliament in 1988, is one of the key milestones forestry; in the development of Auroville. It provides • Exchange with landowners who own land in the statutory support for preparation of a Master Plan master plan area; for Auroville to ensure orderly development of the • Outright sales to raise funds for the purchase of township, which is planned to occupy a circular lands within the master plan area; area of 2000 ha. • Development as special zones to generate income for Auroville (long term revenue income When the Auroville Foundation Act was passed in or short / medium term gain from development September 1988, the Government of India became value appreciation) the temporary owner of all the land holdings including those held in private names. The Auroville The FAMC set up a Land Resource Development Foundation came into existence on January 29, Task Force (LRD Task Force) in February 2009 with 1991. On April 1, 1992, the Government handed a mandate to look into the development of some of all the immovable assets over to the Auroville the category (d) lands mentioned above. The work Foundation. The Auroville Foundation is also the of the Task Force includes the following: owner of all immovable assets created on Auroville land. LAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN for lands owned by Auroville outside the City and Greenbelt Area URBANnetworks Urban Development Consultants September, 2012 7 • Preparation of land utilization proposals and LRD Mandate and in any subject(s) of their choice. The business plan outlines, Unending Education Campus will work in • Preparation of business model proposals (joint The LRD and FAMC have set the following close cooperation with existing educational ventures, franchisees, etc.), criteria for projects and ventures to be institutions. • A proposal for the legal structure of business developed on these lands: ventures such that Auroville becomes the • Preference for technology, research and Bridging Past and Future economic beneficiary thereof, development, educational and resort / spa / The activities relating to this theme will focus on • Negotiations with prospective business partners wellness ventures; bridging cultures, languages, and generations. and finalization of main terms of agreement • Extensive use of renewable energy; The Bridging Campus will bring together young • Plan to achieve carbon-neutral production; and old, modern and traditional, conservative In January 2012, the FAMC approved the LRD Task • No manufacture of products that (can) and progressive in an effort to go beyond these Force’s recommendation to embark on a Strategic harm humans and animals / cause health apparent opposites and move towards future Plan initiative for the lands owned by Auroville problems; realisations. Foundation outside the City Area and the Green • Value addition for the population of the area; Belt Area. The Land Development Strategic Plan • No elitist activities that may alienate the local Material and Spiritual Researches provides a strategy and plan framework for the population. The development relating to this theme will use, development, and protection of the “Outlying centre on research in the basic needs of Lands” within the context of the Auroville Master It is understood that the focus of the humanity: shelter, clothing, water, food, energy. Plan and the region. The planning initiative will be development lands are centered around The research in these areas will be inspired by undertaken in two phases. This report presents the following three themes and need to be the imminence of physical transformation as the findings of the first phase for this strategic integrated into the diverse proposals for the envisioned by Sri Aurobindo. The research will planning initiative, which focussed on the following development strategy. focus on sustainability but not in the traditional objectives: sense of sustenance of what exists but a Unending Education sustainability that creates and maintains the • Develop an in-depth understanding of the land The objective here is the development of conditions for a quantum leap in consciousness. resources owned by Auroville; institutions that provide education and a The Research Campus will create an • Prepare an updated inventory and detailed site learning experience to all age groups from environment that is conducive to innovative analysis of the outlying lands; all backgrounds in an open and inclusive thinking and research. Partnerships will be • Initiate a network building process to identify environment. The learning environment will established with existing research institutions potential resources, partners, and collaborators; be similar to that of open universities but will whereby the research already carried out by • Identify short-term, medium-term and long- have a curriculum that is aimed at integral them will be linked to the spiritual researches of term opportunities and concerns for land holistic development of the individual. The Auroville. development in consultations with key Auroville Unending Education Campus will work with groups, specifically the FAMC, LRD Task Force, lifetime membership models where students and the Auroville Town Development Council. can join courses in any stage of their life LAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN for lands owned by Auroville outside the City and Greenbelt Area URBANnetworks Urban Development Consultants September, 2012 8 The second phase of the final Land Development Strategic Plan (which will commence after approval of this report by FAMC) will build upon the findings of the first phase, to accomplish the following goals: • Identify evaluation criteria for prioritizing lands Table 1.1 Key Statistics, Study Area for Auroville’s own use, sale / exchange, development; • Create a community supported cohesive vision and development policy for the “outlying lands”; TOTAL NUMBER OF 42 Major Land • Develop business plans, venture structure, and PROPERTIES Parcels + 46 management models for future development Isolated Minor proposals; and Parcels • Identify action strategies and organizational TOTAL ACREAGE 1,085 acres structural recommendations geared towards (Major Parcels) + creating an internal asset management team in 66 acres (Isolated Auroville parcels) ENCROACHED LANDS 25 acres PROPERTY SIZE RANGE 0.25 acres- 140.6 Study Area acres TOTAL MARKET VALUE INR 800 Cr + INR The Land Development Strategic Plan includes the 50 Cr nearly 1100 acres of Auroville Foundation owned AVERAGE MARKET LAND INR 1.2 cr lands located outside the Master Plan Area and the VALUE/ ACRE Green Belt Area. Figure 1.1 illustrates the extent AVERAGE MARKET LAND INR 240 of these properties in relation to Auroville and the VALUE/ SF surrounding villages. There are 42 major properties ESTIMATED MAXIMUM INR 225 Cr and 66 isolated, minor properties scattered in MARKET VALUE (major (Aurobrindavan) Auroville’s immediate bioregion, encompassing properties) an area of nearly 25 sq.km. Table 1.1 provides a summary of key characteristics for these properties. LAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN for lands owned by Auroville outside the City and Greenbelt Area URBANnetworks Urban Development Consultants September, 2012 9 Fig. 1.1: Auroville owned lands outside the City and Greenbelt Area LAND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN for lands owned by Auroville outside the City and Greenbelt