It's official! PM Modi to attend Sri Sri event on Yamuna bank

The three-day World Culture Festival will kick off on Friday and people from more than 100 countries are expected to attend the event.

New Delhi: Amid a raging controversy over the Art of Living foundation's attempt to organise its World Culture Festival on the fragile Yamuna banks, PM Narendra Modi on Thursday confirmed his participation at the upcoming mega global event here in which tens of thousands of people are expected to attend.

The three-day festival will kick off on Friday and people from more than 100 countries are expected to attend the event.

Modi's decision to attend the festival, confirmed by the government, has been criticised by some sections of the society as the mega event could potentially destroy the sensitive floodplains of the river, India Today reported.

The National Green Tribunal as ordered the organisers to pay Rs 5 crore as fine to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for violating environmental norms.

The fine was imposed after it came to light that the organisers did not giving sufficient details of the event being held on the Yamuna banks.

The Art of Living has been accused of destroying the fragile ecosystem of the river by felling trees and making concrete structure for the event.

A massive stage, covering seven acres of land, has been built on the riverbed for the event.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the spiritual guru who heads the Art of Living, said the structures are temporary and would be dismantled after the event.