Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra (File Photo) Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra (File Photo)

A day after an expert committee set up by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) said it would take Rs 42 crore and 10 years to restore the portion of the Yamuna floodplain — where the Art of Living’s World Culture Fest was held last year — Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra said the festival should be held only on the floodplain and that “it should be held over and over again”.

Mocking the report, Mishra said, “It makes one feel as though dolphins were swimming in the river before the festival. There were thousands of birds, and tourists from around the world came to see the Yamuna. It was Sri Sri who made the river dirty… He did so much damage that it will take a whole 10 years to restore it.”

Mishra told The Indian Express that keeping people away from the river is never going to help. “There was no permanent construction on the floodplain. Those who say the festival damaged the floodplain should instead go to the river and work for it,” he said.

Mishra also invited Sri Sri Ravishankar to hold a similar festival again. “Based on my 12-year experience of fighting for the Yamuna, I say the World Culture Festival should happen only on the floodplain. It should happen again and again,” he said.

In a statement, the Art of Living foundation said: “We have placed significant material on record before the NGT which clearly shows that the committee is biased. Our application in this regard has not yet been heard. We do not trust this committee. It has disqualified itself by its blatantly biased conduct.”

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