Panel to assess damage on Yamuna riverbed by AoL

The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday directed the principal committee, constituted for rejuvenation of Yamuna, to inspect the site on river floodplains where a three-day festival was organised by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living (AoL) foundation and submit a final report within two weeks.

A bench headed by the NGT chairperson, Justice Swatanter Kumar, ordered the principal committee to assess the damage caused to Yamuna flood plains. The principal committee was constituted by the tribunal for implementation of “Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project 2017” and is headed by secretary of water resources ministry. It also includes three expert members — professor C.R. Babu, professor A.K. Gosain and professor Brij Gopal.

The tribunal also asked AoL whether the foundation has deposited the environment compensation as directed by it on March 9 for damaging Yamuna’s biodiversity to which AoL’s counsel replied that it was ready to furnish the amount as bank guarantee instead of “payment of balance amount.” “Keep your bank guarantee with you,” the bench said while posting the matter for next hearing on August 2.

The green panel also asked AoL to file its reply within three days on an application which had alleged the spiritual guru had termed its earlier order as “politically motivated”.

During the brief hearing, the counsel appearing for AoL refuted the contentions of Manoj Misra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan who had said that the spiritual guru should be held responsible for the statement made before media allegedly “scandalising the tribunal and interfering with dispensation of justice by the tribunal”.