The Art of Living Foundation on Friday paid ₹25 lakh as the first instalment of the ₹5-crore fine imposed by the National Green Tribunal for environmental violations arising from its World Culture Festival on the Yamuna flood plains, and undertook to pay the rest within three weeks.
This marks a humbling climbdown for the Foundation, whose leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had defiantly said a day earlier that he would rather go to gaol than pay a fine.
The Foundation had been directed to pay the entire amount before the start of the Festival on Friday, but sought an extension of the deadline.
The Foundation had earlier told the Tribunal that the total cost of the Festival was in excess of ₹25 crore, including ₹10 crore on decorations.
Ritwick Dutta, Counsel for the environmentalists who petitioned the Tribunal, said the ₹5 crore fine is compensation for the environmental damage caused, and that the amount will likely be increased once a committee set up by the Tribunal evaluated the extent of the damage.