Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 1: National Green Tribunal from New Delhi has refused to entertain the argument placed by the city-based Art of Living Foundation headed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar about the damage to environment caused by the three day world culture festival organized by it on the banks of River Yamuna in the outskirts of New Delhi sometime back.

The tribunal, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, rejected the stand taken by Art of Living that the cultural festival organized by it had not resulted in damage to environment. Considering that the organization had deposited Rs 25 lac during March this year, the bench ordered it to pay the balance fine of Rs 4.75 crore within a week. In an order passed on Tuesday May 31, the tribunal also imposed further fine of Rs 5,000 on Art of Living for filing a baseless petition.

Sri Sri had taken the stand that his organization would not pay the fine as the programme organized by Art of Living, he said, had not damaged environment. He had also offered to provide bank guarantee of Rs 4.75 crore instead of payment of fine. The latest order, analyzers say, has come as a jolt for Art of Living.