AAP minister Kapil Mishra wrote to Parrikar for Army's help in Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's event

New Delhi: Amid ongoing controversy over use of Army for Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 's World Culture Festival , it has come to light that Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Sharma has written to the Ministry of Defence seeking Army's help to set up bridges on river Yamuna.

According to ANI, Mishra, in his letter to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on February 16, requested him to provide help for setting up bridges on the river for the event. 

A controversy has erupted after the photos of Armymen laying pontoon bridges over river Yamuna went viral. Questions were being raised over the use of Army for a private event like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday afternoon, in a major relief to the Art of Living (AOL) foundation, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) gave its go ahead for the event with a fine of Rs 5 crore on AOL and Rs 5 lakh on DDA and Rs 1 lakh on Delhi Pollution Control Committee. 

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, asked AOL, headed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to deposit Rs five crores as environmental compensation before the event begins on March 11.

The tribunal also asked AOL to give an undertaking by tomorrow that enzymes will not be released into Yamuna river and that no further degradation of environment will happen.

Besides slapping the fines, the tribunal directed AOL to develop the entire area in question into a biodiversity park.