Amid worsening drought situation in Maharashtra, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday assured Bombay High Court that sewage treated water will be supplied to stadiums in Mumbai and Pune for maintaining pitches during Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.
In its reply to the court, Maharashtra Cricket Association said that recycled sewage water provided by RWITC will be used.
Everyday, 7-8 tankers of treated sewage water would be supplied to the stadiums, Rafique Dada, Counsel, BCCI 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,” the BCCI counsel said.
Top sources in the cricket body have told that five games to be played in Nagpur and Pune are expected to be moved to another venue. Kings XI Punjab is scheduled to play three games in Nagpur, which may now take place in Mohali.
Two Pune playoffs are also likely to be moved, the venue for which has not been decided yet. However, the BCCI will ask the court to let the seven Pune games remain in the city.
The court was hearing the PIL filed by an NGO against holding Indian Premiere League matches in Maharashtra in view of the severe water crisis in the state where nearly 70% region has been declared drought-hit, forcing the government to impose rationing in many parts.
The PIL had said that as much as 60 lakh litres of water is proposed to be used for maintaining cricket pitches in the three venues that will host the IPL matches.
The PIL also notes that 3,228 farmers committed suicide last year allegedly owing to crop loss.
While the Bombay High Court refused to stay the inaugural IPL match at Wankhade stadium in Mumbai, it asked the State government and the BMC to conduct an inquiry into the source of water used by cricket stadiums in the state.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had made it clear that his government will not provide potable water for IPL matches in the state.
“Our government has taken a strong position in the court. Even if IPL matches are shifted, we have no problem,” Fadnavis had said making his government’s stand clear on the issue of wastage of water for maintaining pitches.
Earlier, the board had got a big relief after the court gave a go ahead to the first match of the ninth season of Indian Premier League (IPL) to be held on April 9 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
