The National Green Tribunal, on Wednesday, announced its verdict regarding the World Cultural Festival that is to be held from March 11-13.
In its verdict, it granted the Art of Living Foundation permission to hold the festival on the Yamuna floodplains. The verdict also directed the AOL to develop the entire area as a biodiversity zone.
Holding the festival is in direct violation of a 2015 order from the National Green Tribunal banning construction on the Yamuna Flood Plain. Construction work on the floodplains has flattened an area of more than 1,000 acres.
What used to be natural vegetation, trees and small water bodies have been replaced by a sizeable stage for the World Culture Festival which is expected to draw 35 lakh people.
However, the NGT also imposed a fine of Rs 5 crore on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art Of Living Foundation.
Construction work on an ecologically fragile area like the floodplains can cause irreparable damage to the environment. Floodplains play an important role as natural filters of water and can prevent flooding in surrounding areas. The loss of natural water bodies and construction over floodplains has been cited as one of the main reasons that led to the recent flooding in Chennai as well.
The Delhi Development Authority was also slapped with a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
Earlier on Tuesday, the DDA said it was only required to give a no objection certificate for the bridge and the permission was granted after taking proper legal opinion which was conditional on the understanding that no permanent structure would be constructed.
An additional fine of Rs 1 lakh was also imposed on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
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