The Bombay High Court on Wednesday has said that ideally the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches should be shifted to a state that isn’t suffering from water shortage.
The BCCI and other cricket associations in Maharashtra have been pulled up for wasting water for maintaining pitches while the entire state reels under severe drought.
Only if water supply to BCCI is cut, you will understand.Bombay High Court
The court also told the state that ultimately it is the government’s responsibility and duty to do something about this (water wastage) and impose some kind of restraint.
It also asked the state government to spell out the steps it plans to take on the issue.
How can you (cricket associations and BCCI) waste water like this? People are more important or your IPL matches? How can you be so careless? Who wastes water like this? This is criminal wastage. You know what the condition is in Maharashtra.Justices VM Kanade and MS Karnik, Division Bench
The division bench said this while hearing a PIL filed by NGO ‘Loksatta Movement’.
The court also asked whether according to BCCI and the other cricket bodies, cricket matches are more important.
Ideally, you should shift the IPL matches to some other state where water is in abundance.Bombay High Court
The HC, while posting the PIL for hearing on Wednesday, had on Monday, sought responses from all other respondents, including the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Vidarbha Cricket Association, Maharashtra government and the civic bodies of Mumbai and Nagpur.
The court asked the Mumbai Cricket Association how much water would be used in Wankhede stadium, MCA’s advocate said:
The petitioner then said that pending hearing of the PIL, the court should grant an interim order restraining all the cricket associations in Maharashtra from using water to maintain the pitches. The HC will consider this during the hearing on Thursday.
The court also asked state acting Advocate General Rohit Deo to appear for the state government in the matter on Thursday.
Water in Wankhede
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s advocate Trupti Puranik told the high court on Wednesday that they are supplying water to Wankhede stadium only for drinking purposes.
MCA’s advocate told the court that they are purchasing water to maintain the pitches.
This water is non-portable and cannot be used for drinking purposes. He also said that the association will come out with some contingency plan to tackle the water crisis.
Villagers Are Suffering
The advocate appearing for the petitioner, however, said several villages in Maharashtra do not even have water for sanitation, cooking and other purposes. This non-portable water could be of use in such villages.
The court also observed that the water shortage is not limited to the Marathwada region, the situation is equally bad in Thane, adjoining Mumbai.
The petitioner’s lawyer then pointed out that from 5 to 9 April, there will be absolutely no water supply in Thane.
The court also noted that in some places in Maharashtra, prohibitory orders under section 144 has been imposed in the vicinity of water supply spots.
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