The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given Art of Living (AOL) time till tomorrow to pay the Rs 5 crore fine. It said, “If there is any breach, the law will takes its course”.
The NGT has also asked Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to issue a proper direction to AOL with regard to disposal of municipal waste.
The green court has also given time till tomorrow for Art of Living to get fire and police permissions.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly confirmed that he will be attending Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s World Culture Festival.
Five Major Concerns the Police Has With the WCF
Lack of “structural stability” is one of the five major “shortcomings” detected by the Delhi Police in the infrastructure being readied for the three-day WCF.
The police report, submitted to the home and urban development ministries, has raised serious concerns about the law and order situation during the event, as a result of these defects.
- There is no clarity on the actual number of people attending the event. It could be anywhere between 3 and 35 lakh.
- The structural stability of the stage is a significant issue, especially as VIPs are expected to attend.
- The passages leading to the event are a concern as the number of temporary pontoon bridges constructed are only half the number promised.
- The report also mentions threat perception, in the wake of an IB alert that 10 suspected terrorists had infiltrated through the Gujarat border with Pakistan.
- Lack of enough parking space is also a major lacuna in planning.
NGT: Art of Living Can Hold WCF But Must Pay Fine
On 9 March, The National Green Tribunal granted the Art of Living Foundation permission to hold the World Culture Festival on the Yamuna floodplains but directed them to pay a fine of Rs 5 crore.The verdict also directed the AOL to develop the entire area as a biodiversity zone.
Questions Remained Unanswered on Final Day of AOL Hearing
It’s now evident that the foundation had not received permission from numerous key authorities. Lawyers failed to answer questions raised by the tribunal bench, such as, where people attending the event would get their water from, or whether permissions had been granted for the event.
Farmers on Hunger Strike to Protest WCF
Aggrieved farmers staged a protest under the leadership of the Bharatiya Kisan Union and Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Wednesday 9 March, against the alleged forced takeover of their land in the Yamuna floodplains for the WCF.