The AVFO issued several orders to violently destroy living spaces and precious forest areas that stood in the way of its dogmatic vision of the CR project. This was done with mob-like tactics such as hiring goons to intimidate peaceful protesters, or working secretly in the middle of the night. In March 2022, the AVFO contracted the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to build 2 km of the CR. This fact alone was concerning as the CPWD doesn’t have a history of successful projects in India, and most strikingly because the action meant that our local road service would be deprived of its work, damaging Auroville’s local economy. In July 2022, the Auroville Town Development Council (ATDC) illegally appointed by Jayanti Ravi, ordered the removal of all paver blocks and curbs of the existing sections of the CR, arguing that it wanted blocks of better quality. Satprem Maini, an architect, and director of the Auroville Earth Institute created detailed technical reports on the CR that prove the higher quality of the existing paver blocks, compared to the ones being used by the ATDC. To view the complete reports, click the following links:
2022 08 10 Crown road evaluation report
2022 08 13 Crown road – Additional evaluation report
Removing sections of the CR all at once has created dangerous situations. 4-wheelers including ambulances have difficulty passing, and motorized 2-wheelers are redirected to cycle paths, endangering cyclists. With the monsoon upon us, the condition of these roads is only getting worse. On one occasion, a school bus got stuck in muddy ground after a rain, and the kids inside got to school late as they had to walk the rest of the way. A week ago, a senior resident driving a moped had an accident and broke her arm while driving on a section of the dismantled road. This was due to a lack of proper signage, but more significantly due to these roads being destroyed for the past 4 months. Development on the CR must be stopped immediately. Whatever has been badly built by the CPWD must be removed. The road’s construction should only resume once a proper study has been completed, and due consultation with the RA has taken place.