Shashi Shekhar Committee on World Culture Festival of AOL submitted report to NGT

The Shashi Shekhar Committee was in news in the third week of August 2016 as the NGT directed Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living (AOL) to submit its response within three weeks on the inspection report. The report of the expert committee dealt with the damage caused to the Yamuna flood plains due to the World Culture Festival. The festival was organised by the AOL in March 2016 along the River Yamuna in New

Delhi. The inspection report of the committee concluded that the event has caused damage to the riverbed.

Background

• The 5-member committee was formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in the wake of allegations that the festival caused extensive damage to the biodiversity and aquatic life of Yamuna.

• The committee is headed by Shashi Shekhar, Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources and consisted of expert members from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

• The committee was asked to quantify the damage and furnish a tentative cost for restoration of the area within 45 days.

• So far, the AOL foundation had deposited 4.75 crore rupees as "environment compensation" with Delhi Development Authority (DDA) as directed by NGT for damaging Yamuna's biodiversity during the festival.

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