Festival Stage Down, But Payment Still Pending From Art of Living

Clean-up of the World Culture Festival is almost complete.

Crews are finalising the World Culture Festival clean up. (Photo: Siddharth Safaya)

One month ago, the controversial World Culture Festival was inaugurated on the Yamuna floodplains. All that is left of the event, which drew between three to five lakh people, is steel rods that made up the festival’s forty-foot stage.

The stage has been dismantled and grasses are now growing across the plain.

The stage took several months to build and has been taken down in a month. (Photo: Siddharth Safaya)

The Art of Living Foundation (AOL) faced criticism from environmentalists for staging the event so close to the Yamuna river. More than 1000 acres of land were cleared and flattened to accommodate followers of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for the 35th anniversary of his foundation.

Last month, the National Green Tribunal ruled that Art of Living would have to pay Rs 5 crore to repair the damage caused on the floodplain. After paying an initial sum of Rs 25 lakh, the organisation postponed the final payment, which was due at the beginning of April.

The Delhi Development Authority has put up signs across the Yamuna Flood Plain. (Photo: Siddharth Safaya)

The tribunal will hold hearings on 21 and 22 April to determine the extent of the event’s damage. A decision will also be made about the nature of the payment.

AOL requested to make a bank guarantee as opposed to giving the money directly to the Delhi Development Authority. This would give the foundation more time to hand over the money.

Grasses are growing again on the flood plain and farmers are starting to return with their buffaloes. (Photo: Siddharth Safaya)