Green Court Gives Sri Sri’s AOL Another Day to Pay Rs 5 cr Fine
What’s the latest on Art of Living’s controversial World Culture Festival? The Quint tells you all you need to know
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.
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.
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.
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.
AOL Foundation To Challenge NGT Order
The foundation has said it will challenge National Green Tribunal’s order. The organisation’s chief Sri Sri Ravi Shankar urged political parties not to “politicise” the event.
AAP Minister Requested Army to Build Pontoon Bridge
It now appears that on 16 February, Delhi’s water minister Kapil Mishra had written a letter to Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar, requesting the army to build an additional pontoon bridge, which he said was “imperative” for safer movement of people while crossing the Yamuna to attend the WCF.
New Defence Ministry Policy: Use Army for Civilian Purposes
The Defence Ministry is working on a new policy for using Army for civilian causes, a move that comes amid raging controversy over the force building a pontoon bridge over the Yamuna for the upcoming WCF.
The defence secretary has been asked by Manohar Parrikar to look into the matter so that a controversy is avoided the next time.
Union Govt Gave Rs 2.25 Crore to AOL for WCF
NDTV has accessed details which show that in December, the Ministry of Culture, headed by Mahesh Sharma, sanctioned Rs 2.25 crore for the three-day event.
Delhi HC: Preparations for WCF on Yamuna Flood Plain An Ecological Disaster
The observation was made during the hearing of a PIL on the issue of unauthorised constructions on the flood plain of Yamuna in the Jaitpur and Mithapur areas of the national capital.
Weather Could Play Spoilsport at WCF
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning that the weather could play spoilsport at the largely open-air mega-fest.
End Row Over Art of Living Event: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday that controversies over spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living (AOL) event should end, now that the NGT has given its verdict.
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