BackArt of Living event completely destroyed Yamuna floodplain: expert panel
Committee recommends urgent action to restore the area affected by the Art of Living Foundation's World Culture Festival in March
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The Yamuna floodplain has been completely destroyed in the region where the Art of Living Foundation held its World Culture Festival in March, an expert committee set up to assess the environmental damage caused by the three-day event has found.
The committee also recommended urgent action to restore the area. The development was reported first by The Indian Express on 17 August.
In a 47-page report submitted to the National Green Tribunal, the seven-member panel enumerated steps for the restoration of the floodplain, and mentioned that the process would need continuous attention.
In fact, the report noted that restoration of the floodplain to its original state was not possible because of severe damage caused by the Art of Living event.
The committee’s report comes in the wake of a 3 June order of the National Green Tribunal, directing it to assess the damage caused to the Yamuna floodplain.
The tribunal’s order was in response to a plea filed by Manoj Misra of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, claiming that the event violated provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
In its report, the committee said that the floodplain had lost its natural vegetation, it had been flattened using soil and debris to fill gaps, its soil composition had been altered and water bodies levelled.
In order to restore the floodplain, the committee suggested several steps, including removing debris, ramps and other construction material at the site in order to allow connectivity with the river. The soil needs to be loosened and then detoxified to remove chemicals that may have leached into it. The committee recommended careful selection of the native vegetation to be planted in the area.
The committee did not quantify the damage, or the amount of compensation that the Art of Living Foundation should pay. However, it suggested that the entire cost of restoration should be borne by the foundation. In a February report, another four-member committee had estimated the restoration cost to be around ₹ 100-200 crore.
The recommendations will be considered by the National Green Tribunal at its next hearing on 28 September.
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