Auroville’s largest organic farm, Annapurna Farm, is facing a relocation order after the Auroville Foundation directed its residents to move within 10 days, citing plans connected to a proposed IIT-Madras “sustainability campus”, as reported in Deccan Chronicle.
But this has been strongly rejected by Auroville members stating that the negotiations have been going on for over a year.
The farm management has opposed the move, arguing that Annapurna’s agricultural operations cannot simply be shifted because its soil, water systems, livestock, infrastructure and farming ecosystem have been developed over several decades.
According to a release issued on Sunday, Annapurna Farm spans around 135 acres and accounts for approximately 30 per cent of Auroville’s total food production. It processes more than 90 per cent of the grains produced by Auroville farms and functions as the community’s central granary, serving more than 3,000 residents.
The farm has held organic certification since 2005.
100 Acres Leased To IIT-Madras
The farm management said the Auroville Foundation leased 100 acres of Annapurna’s land to IIT-Madras under a 33-year lease deed at nominal rent, signed on 23 December 2025.
It further alleged that IIT-Madras began fencing around 101 acres of the land in June 2026.
According to the farm, its management examined five alternative sites in the Auroville Greenbelt, ranging from around 3.5 to 11 acres, but found none suitable for relocating the existing operation.
The management estimated that at least 50 acres of contiguous land would be required to maintain viable agricultural operations.
On 5 September 2026, Annapurna Farm received an unsigned letter from the Auroville Foundation directing residents to relocate within 10 days and begin moving livestock, equipment and essential farming operations.
The farm management questioned how an operational agricultural ecosystem comprising its granary, cattle, workshops, crops and supporting infrastructure could be shifted within such a short timeframe.
Annapurna employs around 17 to 20 regular workers, with the workforce increasing to as many as 40 during peak seasons. Its operations include rice cultivation, dairy production, water harvesting and organic farming.
Parliamentary Panel Recommends Farm Be Protected
The farm management also cited a September 10 letter from Parliamentary Standing Committee chairman Mukul Wasnik, which, according to the release, recommended that Annapurna Farm should not be disturbed and that alternative sites be identified for the proposed sustainability campus.
The management has called for an immediate halt to construction and site-preparation work, an independent assessment of the proposed project’s impact on food security and ecology, and identification of alternative land for the IIT-Madras campus.
Auroville Administration Disputes ‘Sudden Eviction’ Claim
The Auroville administration, however, has disputed the portrayal of the relocation order as a sudden move.
A member of the Auroville Township Development Council (ATDC), while responding to the issue, said negotiations with Annapurna residents had been underway for more than a year and that the administration had repeatedly offered alternative accommodation and options to shift farming activities to the Green Belt.
In a statement, the ATDC member said, “The media created a strong impression that the residents of Annapurna were suddenly asked to leave, but documented evidence tells a different story. Negotiations had been ongoing for over a year. Meetings took place, and the Auroville administration repeatedly offered the residents alternative accommodation within Auroville, as well as options to shift farming activities to the Green Belt. There are records and evidence to substantiate all of this. Repeated opportunities were given for the residents to cooperate in a smooth transition. Even in the final communication sent by the OSD on September 5th of this year, they were granted another 10 days for voluntary relocation. So, whether the decision to relocate Annapurna was right or wrong is a matter of opinion. However, claiming that these decisions were suddenly announced is incorrect—in fact, it is completely wrong. This was the final stage of a very long process, and the matter did not stop at the administrative level; it went to court—a move initiated by the residents themselves. What happened there? We shall see shortly.”
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