Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday directed the Art of Living (AOL) foundation to deposit the remaining Rs 4.75 crore as 'environment compensation' for damage incurred to Yamuna floodplains due to three-day World Culture Festival (WCF) held in March.

On Tuesday, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar came down hard on the Foundation for not having paid the compensation despite being granted - on the Foundation's plea - three weeks to pay it.

The Art of Living asked to substitute the penalty with a bank guarantee as it is "in the process of preparing proposal laying down process/methodology for collection of scientific data/evidence regarding assessment of actual environmental damage, if any."

But Justice Kumar asked the Foundation to pay the money upfront, saying that it will be returned in full if the NGT did not find merit in charges against AOL. On a concern raised by the Foundation's counsel that it could be construed as fine, Jutice Kumar said the bench is ready to iterate it 10 times that AOL has not been found guilty.

The NGT had levied Rs 5 crore environment compensation on the foundation, out of which it had deposited Rs 25 lakh before the three-day event kicked off on March 11.

High profile cultural festival

Despite all the controversy about the Festival - the army even constructed a pontoon bridge for what was a private event - it was attended by top government officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the event and lauded Shankar for his "soft power."

This, despite the fact that the NGT had already criticized the Art of Living Foundation and penalized it and despite Shankar declaring he wouldn't ever pay the compensation. Incidentally, the Foundation spent more than Rs 26 crores on its three-day event.

At the time, the NGT turned down an environmentalist's plea asking that court cancel the event that the Delhi High Court had earlier called an "ecological disaster'. The NGT did so on the condition that the Art of Living Foundation pays the "environmental compensation".

NGT was unhappy with DDA as well

In March, while hearing the environmentalist's plea to cancel the Festival, the NGT also slapped a fine of Rs five lakhs on the Delhi Development Authority and Rs 1 lakh on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) - which it described as 'incompetent - for not discharging their statutory functions and allowing the Art of Living's Festival to be held.

The Tribunal had asked tough questions about who had given clearance to the 'World Cultural Festival' which 35 lakh people were expected to attend.

Thet NGT had also rebuked the environment ministry. "What is your primary duty? Do you believe Art of Living has not done any damage to the environment?"

