Now Reading: Supreme Court sets aside NGT order, orders Rs 5 crore refund to Art of Living
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Supreme Court sets aside NGT order, orders Rs 5 crore refund to Art of Living
Supreme Court sets aside NGT order, orders Rs 5 crore refund to Art of Living
The Supreme Court on August 22 set aside a 2017 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that held Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation responsible for damage to the…
The Supreme Court on August 22 set aside a 2017 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that held Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation responsible for damage to the Yamuna floodplains from its 2016 World Culture Festival. A bench of Justices Satish Chandra Sharma and N K Singh found no direct evidence linking the event to the damage and directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to refund the Rs 5 crore environmental compensation deposited by the foundation.
The court noted the floodplain was already damaged before the event site was handed over and that earlier reports had recorded deterioration. It criticised the NGT for relying on a satellite image that was inconsistent with other material, and for treating an interim order as final. The court also held that the NGT had wrongly imposed a broader rehabilitation obligation on the organisers, distinguishing between restoration and rehabilitation.
The court directed the DDA to continue rehabilitation work on the Yamuna floodplains in line with earlier directions. The refund must be made within four weeks.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both thefederal.com and LiveLaw report the same outcome neutrally, with LiveLaw providing significantly more detail on the court's reasoning. LiveLaw's extensive coverage foregrounds the legal distinctions the court drew, such as between restoration and rehabilitation, and the criticism of the NGT's reliance on satellite imagery. Thefederal.com, publishing a wire copy, is briefer and does not include those nuances. Neither outlet takes a pro- or anti-government stance on the facts. The measured reading is that the Supreme Court reversed the NGT order on evidentiary and procedural grounds, but left the DDA's broader rehabilitation duty intact. Watch for the DDA's compliance with the four-week refund timeline and any fresh petition from environmental activists.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): thefederal.com (neutral report), livelaw.in (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
