New Delhi, August 22: The Supreme Court has provided significant relief to the Art of Living Foundation. The court has annulled the ₹5 crore fine imposed on the organization and its individual development center for an event held in a flood-prone area of the Yamuna River in 2016.
The individual development center is a registered public charitable trust established by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar under the Art of Living organization.
The Supreme Court directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to refund the ₹5 crore fine that was deposited by the individual development center.
The court stated that the DDA failed to fulfill its responsibility to protect eco-sensitive zones. However, there was no direct evidence that the Art of Living caused harm to the sensitive area of the Yamuna through its event.
Additionally, the Supreme Court ordered the DDA to continue the rehabilitation work in the flood-prone area of the Yamuna, as per the directives of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
In 2016, the Art of Living hosted a large event on the floodplains of the Yamuna, which was accused of causing significant environmental damage.
In March 2016, the National Green Tribunal imposed an environmental compensation fine of ₹5 crore on the Art of Living Foundation for the damage caused to the environment and biodiversity during the ‘World Culture Festival’ held in the flood area of the Yamuna River.
The foundation had already deposited this amount. Following this, the case reached the Supreme Court, resulting in nearly a decade-long legal battle. Now, the apex court has canceled the fine and ordered the refund, providing substantial relief to the Art of Living Foundation.
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