The National Green Tribunal (NGT) held the Art of Living (AOL) responsible for the destruction of Yamuna floodplains on Thursday, 7 December. The floodplains were destroyed during the World Culture Festival in 2016.
The tribunal, however, did not levy additional fine from the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led AOL, saying that the fine of Rs 5 crore already levied on the organisation will be used for the restoration of the floodplains.
The bench, headed by NGT chairperson Swatentar Kumar, also asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to assess damage caused to floodplains and compute restoration cost in line with expert panel’s recommendations.
As reported by The Hindu, the NGT also said that if the amount required for the restoration is above Rs 5 crore, it is supposed to recover the additional amount from the organisation.
The bench, however, refused to decide whether AOL was authorised for holding the event at the banks of Yamuna, saying that this aspect of the matter was beyond the jurisdiction of the tribunal.
According to the report, the NGT also pulled up the DDA for failing to protect the floodplains.
The DDA has failed to perform its statutory functions of maintaining the ecology. It shall assess the quantum of damage and carry out the restoration work
AOL to Approach SC
In an official reaction to the NGT verdict, AOL reiterated that they were not at fault for the destruction, and announced plans to approach the Supreme Court for justice.
Soon after the verdict, the AOL’s official Twitter handle also came out with a video, calling it ‘The truth behind Art of Living’s Yamuna festival’
In April 2017, a committee headed by Shashi Shekhar, Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, said the restoration would cost over Rs 13 crore and take almost 10 years to restore the damaged floodplains. The committee ,in its 47-page report, had also said that the Yamuna banks had lost almost all its natural vegetation due to the event.
(With inputs from PTI and The Hindu)
(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT in partnership with #MyRightToBreathe to find a solution to pollution. Send in your suggestions to fit@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)