CHENNAI: The Isha Foundation run by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in the Vellingiri hills in Coimbatore got a big reprieve on Wednesday as the Madras High Court struck down a show cause notice issued by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for prosecuting the Foundation for carrying out constructions in violation of environmental rules.
The first bench headed by Acting CJ T Raja passed the order to set aside the show cause notice issued in 2021 seeking to prosecute Isha for carrying out construction without getting environmental clearance as per the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006.
The bench allowed the petition filed by Isha Foundation challenging the show cause notice saying that a yoga centre is considered an educational institution and hence it is exempted from environmental clearance as per a clarificatory amendment issued by the Centre in 2014.
The TNPCB submitted that a yoga centre cannot be considered an educational institution and even if it is so considered, the Isha Foundation had obtained Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) approval for construction in an area of 10,445 sqm only but raised construction on a total area of 1.25 lakh meters between 2006 and 2014.
However, the counsels for Isha maintained that educational institutions and industrial sheds are exempted from environmental clearance as per the amendment, and hence, it is eligible for exemption since it had raised a yoga centre and a facility for meditation.