With the Bombay High Court raising questions, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that it will procure treated sewage water for ground maintenance for IPL matches in drought-hit Maharashtra.
We have tied-up with Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) to procure treated sewage water for the IPL matches to be played in Pune and Mumbai.Rafiq Dada, BCCI Counsel
To this, the HC bench of Justices VM Kanade and MS Karnik asked the cricket council:
Can you provide 40 lakh litre water which you used earlier to the affected drought areas?
RWITC is to make written submission that they are willing to provide sewage treated water for treatment of grounds for IPL.
The judges made the comments whole hearing the PIL filed by an NGO Loksatta Movement, challenging the use of large quantities of water in stadiums in drought-hit Maharashtra.
7-8 Tankers of Sewage Everyday
Nine Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches would be played in Pune and eight in Mumbai. Of the eight in Mumbai, one has already been held, the BCCI’s counsel told the court.
Three matches are slated to be held in Nagpur, and IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab has agreed to shift matches to Mohali or elsewhere if the HC tells it, he said.
Everyday, 7-8 tankers of treated sewage water would be supplied to the stadiums, Dada said.
The concept of using treated sewage water should be encouraged because after treating the sewage water, it is released into the sea and goes waste, he said.
In this case, instead of discharging treated sewage water into the sea, we are using it in the stadiums.Rafiq Dada, BCCI Counsel
HC also questioned BCCI on the donation amount from IPL to Chief Minister’s relief fund.
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