The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) here on Thursday told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it didn't have the expertise to repair the damage caused to the Yamuna floodplains during the Art of Living (AOL) cultural event last year and also apologised for questioning the court's findings in the case.
The remarks came after the NGT slammed DDA for questioning its 10-member expert committee's findings that it would take at least 10 years to fix the damage.
On May 9, in separate submissions, the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Water Resources had told the green panel that DDA had given permission for the cultural extravaganza of AOL's Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
On this, DDA Counsel Rajiv Bansal said: "We gave a conditional permission to the AOL for holding the event. We are not responsible for the damage caused to the river and the floodplains."
He also disapproved of the expert panel's observations.
NGT's bench headed by Chairperson Swatantra Kumar slammed the development authority and said: "These people (expert committee) have been working in the case without even a single penny."
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Kumar added, "The DDA doesn't pay even their transport cost and is questioning their expertise in the case. How can you question their expertise in the case?"
Next hearing in the case is on May 15.
The cultural event, which saw over three million attendees from 155 countries over a three-day period, was held on the left bank of the river between the Barapullah elevated road and the DND flyway between March 11 and 13, last year.
A report of the seven-member expert committee, headed by former Secretary of Water Resources Ministry Shashi Shekhar, told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) about the ecological damage caused to over 300 acres of Yamuna floodplains due to the festival last year.
Ravi Shankar said there was no proof that the festival caused pollution in the river.
--IANS
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