The NGO had moved an application to pay the compensation through a bank guarantee but the Tribunal dismissed it on grounds it that lacked "bona fide" and even imposed a cost of Rs5000 on them.
A defiant Art of Living Foundation said on Monday that allegations against it of damaging Yamuna's floodplains are false and baseless and that there were no water bodies on the site where they held their World Culture Festival, to celebrate its 35th anniversary. The non-governmental organisation also said that they had not been a given a chance yet to present their full case before the National Green Tribunal. The NGO came out with 'their side of the story' just days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered them to pay Rs4.75 crore balance of environment compensation for "drastically tampering with floodplains."
The NGO had moved an application to pay the compensation through a bank guarantee but the Tribunal dismissed it on grounds it that lacked "bona fide" and even imposed a cost of Rs5000 on them. Represented by a group of environmental experts and spokespersons on Monday, the NGO used satellite imagery using Google Earth and a survey of India map to claim that the site of their event was not a wetland.
"A floodplain is defined by the survey of India. We have maps of 1986 that classify wetlands and raised land. The area where the World Culture Festival was held is not shown as a wetland, in the map but a flood plain. The Art of Living would like to clarify that while such events are not allowed on wetlands, cultural events are allowed on a floodplain. Like, the Kumbh mela is always held on the floodplains," said Dr Prabhakar Rao, landscape architect and environmental consultant.
Rao added, "Images also show there was no bio diversity in this part of the floodplain given to The Art of Living. The arguments against us that we destroyed natural vegetation falls flat as there were no signs of the existence of the biodiversity in the first place. The NGT is now awaiting report of an expert committee it has appointed that will suggest steps to restore the "damaged floodplains". The committee will also recommend a final approximate cost the NGO needs to pay for restoration. The NGO, though, said it is considering challenging NGT's orders in the Supreme Court.
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