Though it missed the deadline for clearing the area after the three-day mega event in March, the massive stage set up by the Art of Living has finally been dismantled.
Spread over seven acres, it was almost 100 feet tall and 1,200 feet wide. The World Culture Festival started on March 11.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had allowed the festival on the ecologically-sensitive Yamuna floodplains with the condition that the foundation will clear the area “within a month of the event”.
“I would think that now that the stage has been dismantled, the Art of Living will have to officially inform that they have vacated the premises. Then we hope the next logical step will be taken and an NGT-appointed principal committee will assess the site and suggest the steps to be taken to restore the floodplains. It has been already established that the event caused damaged to the sensitive site,’’ said environmentalist Anand Arya.
This committee had, in its report on February 20, recommended a compensation of Rs.120 crore.
The Art of Living had earlier removed the temporary constructions set-up to accommodate seating arrangements for over 11 lakh people daily and six towering floodlight masts. Despite massive protests by environmentalists and months of litigation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living was able to secure the NGT’s nod for the mega-event on the promise of minimal damage to the area and that the group would clean up “within a month”.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had given Art of Living over 60 hectares for the event on the condition that no permanent construction would take place on the site that falls within the Zone O, which is a “restricted” but not “prohibited” zone.
The NGT had imposed a fine of Rs.5 crore on the Art of Living. The foundation paid Rs.25 lakh before the event, and had filed an application seeking permission to submit a bank guarantee in place of the balance payment of Rs.4.75 crore. The next hearing in the case will be held on April 21 and 22.
