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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 petitioner’s lawyer then pointed out that from 5 to 9 April, there will be absolutely no water supply in Thane.
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