More than 35,000 musicians and dancers are scheduled to perform on the massive stage at the World Culture Festival.
The Sri Sri show is on after clearance from the green court, but worries remain about a shaky stage. A report by the Centre's Public Works Department or CPWD has questioned the structural stability of the mammoth seven-acre stage being built for the cultural festival at a cost of over 5 crore.
The CPWD, asked for an assessment by the Delhi Police, has suggested constructing a separate enclosure to seat Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to open the weekend festival tomorrow.
A separate enclosure is being built away from the stage, closer to the gates.
In its assessment report, the CPWD has noted a lack of ground preparation and has said that corroded and worn-out pipes have been used to construct the stage. The report also says that the splice joints are not staggered, creating weak links and that an inadequate number of base plates have been used.
More than 35,000 musicians and dancers are scheduled to perform on the massive stage at the World Culture Festival organised by spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living or AOL.
"This here will have a symphony of 8,500, and these 20,000 performers on stage at any one time," said Prasana Prabhu, a trustee of Ravi Shankar's foundation.
At a hearing by the National Green Tribunal or NGT on whether the festival should be allowed, sources said, AOL was unable to provide a satisfactory answer on whether a structural engineer has certified the stage as safe.
But the organisers said that they have used experts who have built stages for other large concerts and the government's Make In India summits, which bring together large audiences of potential investors.
Amid concerns of environmental damage, the festival spread over 1000 acres on the banks of the Yamuna river was cleared by the NGT on Wednesday evening, with an interim fine of Rs. 5 crore and conditions.
Green groups have accused organisers of ripping up vegetation and ruining the river's fragile ecosystem by damaging its bed and disrupting water flows. They wanted authorities to cancel the event before more harm is done.