As the Art of Living’s (AoL) mega World Culture Festival begins today at the banks of the river Yamuna in New Delhi, the dust is yet to settle from its run-in with environmentalists who opposed the festival, stating it would adversely affect the region’s ecology.

There was frantic back and forth between AoL and the opposition, a petition was filed and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took centrestage in the row. The tribunal eventually fined AoL Rs 5 crore, but still gave the green signal for the World Culture Festival — or Peace Festival, as it has been called. Even at the time of going to press, there were several reports stating that the AoL would contest the fine. Meanwhile, a number of green organisations remain obdurate in the belief that the event — which will see more than 3 million people from 155 countries — will be an ecological disaster.