The National Green Tribunal again on Monday exhorted its expert committee to inspect the Yamuna floodplains for possible damage caused due to three-day cultural festival organised by the Art of Living
The National Green Tribunal again on Monday exhorted its expert committee to inspect the Yamuna floodplains for possible damage caused due to three-day cultural festival organised by the Art of Living Foundation of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in March. However, Union water resources minister Uma Bharti said in a TV interview that “no hurt has been caused to the Yamuna riverbed.”
Responding to the Art of Living’s application challenging the appointment of an expert committee for inspection of site on the Yamuna floodplains, the green watchdog on Monday sought a report on the same by Tuesday.
A bench headed by the NGT chairperson, Justice Swatanter Kumar, which had ordered the expert co-mmittee to assess the damage caused to the Yamuna floodplains due to the festival, besides seeking resp-onse of other parties on the foundation’s recent plea, asked the Art of Living: “What is your problem You keep on filing applicati-ons. How can you raise fingers, these persons in the expert committee are highly qualified... What is the status of inspection Has the committee inspected the site Tell us tomorrow.”
On May 25, an expert committee comprising Prof. C.R. Babu, Prof. A.K. Gosain and Brij Gopal was directed by the NGT to inspect the site and assess the damage allegedly caused to the floodplains of Yamuna due to the activities of the foundation. the Art of Living has sought reconstitution of an “independent” and an “unbiased” expert committee to examine the alleged impact of the World Culture Festival on the Yamuna floodplains.
“The Art of Living objects to the existing committee comprising Brij Gopal, Prof. Gosain, Prof. Babu headed by Sashi Shekhar, who arrived at an arbitrary figure of Rs 120 crore based on a very ‘brief’ assessment, without following a scientific process. The committee has pre-judged the issue and are under self-imposed pressure to justify that figure, creating a bias for itself,” the Art of Living said.
Union water resources minister, who so far has distanced her ministry from the controversy, on Monday told a news channel that “no hurt has been caused to the riverbed during the three-day mega event.” The festival was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on Mar-ch 11. The NGT had asked the Art of Living to pay Rs 5 crore as environmental compensation for the damage.
