Supreme Court Sets Aside NGT Order Holding Art Of Living Liable For Yamuna Floodplain Damage, Orders ₹5 Crore Refund
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Saturday set aside a 2017 National Green Tribunal (NGT) order holding the Art of Living Foundation, through its associated entity Vyakti Vikas Kendra India, liable for environmental damage to the Yamuna floodplains following its World Culture Festival in March 2016. The court also directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to refund the ₹5 crore environmental…
On Saturday, the Supreme Court overturned a 2017 National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruling that had blamed the Art of Living Foundation for environmental harm to the Yamuna floodplains caused by their 2016 World Culture Festival. The court also ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to return the ₹5 crore environmental compensation that the foundation had deposited.
Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and N Kotiswar Singh, forming the bench, stated that a direct link must be proven between the activity in question and the resulting harm before an entity can be held absolutely liable for environmental damage. No such connection was found between the Art of Living festival and the alleged damage to the Yamuna ecosystem.
The festival, held March 11-13, 2016, on the Yamuna floodplains, had been allowed by the NGT subject to the condition that the Art of Living Foundation deposited the ₹5 crore interim compensation. This was to be recouped from any final compensation depending on the extent of damage assessed afterwards. In December 2017, the NGT found the Art of Living party responsible and ordered the DDA to use the deposited money for floodplain restoration and to conduct further cost assessments.
The Supreme Court's reversal noted that the DDA itself had neglected to adequately safeguard the ecologically fragile Yamuna floodplains. The court also criticized the DDA's prior approval of the festival as improper. However, the ruling clarified that the DDA's permit for the event was not being questioned as a legal issue.
The Supreme Court directed the DDA to fully refund the ₹5 crore the foundation had paid. It also mandated the authority to continue the floodplain rehabilitation and restoration activities that the NGT had already ordered. The decision offers substantial relief to the Art of Living Foundation after a decade of legal battles, while highlighting the authorities' duty to protect the environmentally sensitive Yamuna floodplains.
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