The World Culture Festival that kicked off on schedule on Friday got the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) nod for the event after Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of living (Aol) agreed to pay Rs 5 crore in three weeks.
Also, on the Aol’s plea that the Rs 5 crore not be considered a penalty, the Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar clarified that the amount of Rs 5 crore would be treated as environmental compensation.
The NGT on Friday also asked the Aol to pay Rs 25 lakh immediately before the commencement of the three-day event. The Aol complied with the NGT’s directive and the amount was deposited in the Yamuna Restoration Fund under the Delhi Development Authority. Earlier, the Aol had moved an application before the green Bench pleading that as it was a charitable organisation it would be difficult for it to generate Rs 5 crore in such a short time.
The Aol further informed the NGT that it had the requisite permission from the fire department to hold the event.
The green panel, however, took strong exception
to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s remarks made on a national TV channel on Thursday that he would not pay the fine and was ready to go to jail.
It warned the Aol saying that the tribunal should not be made a subject of controversy. “When a person of that stature makes such statements, it hits rule of law,” the NGT reprimanded.
The tribunal also directed the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and the Delhi Development Authority to ensure that the Yamuna River and its floodplain are not polluted.
The NGT however pulled up the Ministry of Water Resources for not doing anything to protect Yamuna from pollution despite explicit directions.