India cultural fest to open, pay fine for river construction

NEW DELHI (AP) — A massive cultural festival is opening on the banks of the Yamuna River in the Indian capital Friday despite concerns that the sprawling construction of roads, ramps and pontoon bridges would irreparably damage the floodplains of the river.

The country's top environmental watchdog had fined the organizers 50 million rupees ($740,000) for building on the riverbanks, but the tribunal said it was too late to call off the event, organized by a group headed by a Hindu spiritual leader,

Several environmentalists had petitioned the National Green Tribunal over the potential environmental damage and alleged the group didn't have all the permits and safety certificates required for the scale of its work.

The event is also expected to create traffic snarls over weekend and traffic advisories have been issued warning people to avoid roads leading to or running close to the venue.