But maintains that AoL has not damaged Yamuna floodplain
New Delhi : The Sri Sri Ravi Shankar-led Art of Living (AoL) Foundation on Monday said it has paid the Rs 5-crore environment compensation imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) but maintained it did not cause any damage to the Yamuna floodplain in Delhi.
“We are yet to produce our evidence in court. We are presenting the evidence before the media to enable the people understand we have done nothing wrong,” Jaideep Nath of AoL said.
“We paid the compensation to assure the NGT that we are financially good. We have paid the amount but if we win the case, we will ask for its refund,” he added.
Nath said that in the first place, there was never any biodiversity on the floodplain which the World Culture Festival organised by the AoL in March would have destroyed.
Referring to Google Earth’s data, the foundation said: “Images show that there was no biodiversity in this part of the floodplains given to The Art of Living.”
“The arguments against us that we destroyed natural vegetation falls flat as there were no signs of any biodiversity in the first place. Native plants and crops like cauliflower and spinach were growing there. These are not native crops. This was 10 years before we got there,” Nath told reporters here. PTI