India's environmental court allows private event on Yamuna riverbed with conditions

India's environment court Wednesday allowed a private cultural event on the banks of Delhi's Yamuna river, directing organizers to pay a fine of 744,262 U.S. dollars (INR 50 million), officials said.

The three-day event 'World Cultural Festival' organized by India's spiritual icon Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the banks of Yamuna is slated to start on Friday.

"The National Green Tribunal headed by chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the Art of Living Foundation, headed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to deposit 744,262 U.S. dollars as environmental compensation before the event begins on Friday," an official said. "It also imposed a fine of 7,445 U.S. dollars on Delhi Development Authority and 1,489 U.S. dollars Delhi Pollution Control Committee for not discharging statutory functions."

The tribunal's clearance came on a day the Delhi High Court described the event as a disaster from the ecological point of view.

"The tribunal also asked the organizers to give an undertaking by tomorrow that enzymes will not be released into Yamuna river and that no further degradation of environment will happen," the official said.

Non-governmental organizations and environmentalists had petitioned to the tribunal seeking cancellation of the festival on the ground that it would wreak havoc to the area's biodiversity and riverbed's fragile environment.

Organizers say 3.5 million visitors are expected to attend from 150 countries.

The festival would be held across 1,000 acres of the river bank and would feature a seven-acre stage for 35,000 musicians and dancers, reports said.

The event apart from raising environmental concerns has triggered a controversy over involvement of Indian army personnel into organizing the private event.

The government on Wednesday faced protests in the parliament house (that is currently in session) with the opposition parties demanding why the event was being allowed on the riverbed and why the official resources like the army was roped in to help with organizing a private event.

Organizers on their invitation cards have stated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the inaugural ceremony of festival and President Pranab Mukherjee is to be present at the closing ceremony.

With controversies growing around the event, Mukherjee has decided not to attend the festival. However, it was unclear whether Modi would be attending the event. Endit