‘Art of Living festival site wasn’t floodplain’

NEW DELHI: The ongoing case, in which spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living has been accused of damaging the Yamuna floodplains, took a new turn on Tuesday. The foundation told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the site on which the three-day cultural festival was held in March 2016 cannot be termed as a floodplain.

Art of Living informed a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar that the event site was not a demarcated floodplain and hence cannot be considered a floodplain. The event site comprised agricultural lands, the foundation stated in the court.

The counsel also said that the site cannot be considered as a wetland either. “The tribunal in its judgment dated January 13, 2015, had directed the authorities to demarcate after identification the extent of floodplains of the Yamuna. The exercise had, however, not been carried out. In the absence of identification as directed by the tribunal, the event site cannot be termed as a floodplain in which any activity is prohibited,” Nikhil Sakhardande, counsel for the Art of Living, told the tribunal.

When contacted, river activist Manoj Mishra, the applicant of the case, refused to comment saying that it was a sub judice case. “Whatever I had to say, I have already submitted before the tribunal. I don’t want to comment,” Mishra told Hindustan Times.

An Ngt-appointed expert panel had earlier observed that ₹42.02 crore would be required over a period of 10 years to restore the Yamuna floodplains, which was allegedly damaged by the World Culture Festival organised by Art of Living in March 2016.

The NGT has sought responses from the state government and the Delhi Development Authority. The matter would be heard again on Wednesday.