BENGALURU: The Art of Living (AoL) has welcomed the Supreme Court’s judgment, setting aside the National Green Tribunal’s order concerning its 2016 World Culture Festival, saying the verdict has brought closure to nearly a decade of allegations that the event damaged the Yamuna floodplain.
The SC found no reliable evidence establishing that AoL had caused the alleged damage and directed Delhi Development Authority to refund Rs 5crore deposited by the organisation.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, AoL spokesperson Prasanna Prabhu said the verdict had vindicated the organisation’s position after years of allegations surrounding the event. He questioned the assessment of damage by a committee constituted at the time, saying it had spent around 30 minutes walking through the venue before arriving at an estimate of Rs 120 crore.
Prabhu said the assessment was made without adequate scientific evidence and pointed out that the committee chairman had himself stated that the findings were not scientific and that he did not agree with them. He also alleged that the assessment document was leaked to the media, leading to the Rs 5crore deposit being reported as a fine.
The World Culture Festival was held in Delhi in 2016 and brought together more than 3.5 million people from 155 countries. More than 37,000 artistes from over 100 countries participated in around 70 performances on a seven-acre floating stage without a foundation. Around 2,500 spiritual and religious leaders representing different faiths and traditions participated, besides more than 20,000 international guests and around 5,000 business leaders. Over 30 Indian classical, folk and regional dance traditions were showcased.
Prabhu said a government fact-finding committee that visited the site after the festival found grass growing beneath the temporary stage, with water and no debris. He said AoL had also documented the debris present when it took possession of the site from DDA and removed it before the festival.
