Bombay High Court says using water to maintain pitches for IPL is a criminal wastage.
The Bombay High Court asked BCCI and cricket associations in Maharashtra to clarify whether people are important or conducting IPL matches in the state. The court had asked the cricketing body to shift matches out of Maharashtra as several regions of the state is witnessing severe drought. It also said that using water for maintaining pitches in the stadiums is a criminal wastage of water when people are facing hardships due to water scarcity. Maharashtra is reeling under severe drought since last four years and 3,228 farmers have committed suicide in the state in 2015 due to crop failure. The state government has imposed section 144 in Latur and Parbhani restricting the assembly of five or more persons near water supply points.
“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,” a division bench headed by Justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik said, while hearing a PIL filed by NGO ‘Loksatta Movement’
“Ideally, you should shift the IPL matches to some other state where water is in abundance,” the court observed.
The lawyers appearing for the petitioners further pointed out that in several areas such as Latur, government hospitals had shut down due to non-availability of water and as per the state water policy priority should be first given to providing drinking water.
Former Congress MLA, Krishna Hegde said, “IPL is a sports event and it has been held since last seven years. Restrictions must not be imposed on organising the sports but government should monitor water usage.”
Shiv Sena MLA, Sanjay Potnis said, “Looking at the drought situation in Maharashtra IPL should not be held in the state. The organisers and government should not play with the sentiments of the people and therefore IPL should be shifted to other states.”
RTI activist Anil Galgali said, “It’s unfortunate that citizens have to come forward and inform BCCI that we are facing water crisis. They should have taken the responsibility to postpone or cancel the tournament. This is not a world event which can’t be postponed and it can be held any time. I welcome the court’s decision.”
MNS leader Nitin Sardesai said, “We have nothing to do with the venue of cricket unless and until it is ensured that there is no wastage of water. We do not oppose the game of cricket or IPL but the organisers should assure that there is no water wastage.”
The court informed the state that ultimately it is the government’s responsibility to resolve the water scarcity problem faced by the state. It asked the state government to spell out tomorrow what steps it plans to take on the issue.
Mumbai Cricket Association’s advocate said that they will be using 40 lakh litres water for seven matches to be held in Wankhede stadium. However, the court said that it is a huge number. 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. 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.
Earlier former journalist Ketan Tirodkar had filed a PIL in the high court and sought a direction to the IPL Commissioner to pay tax on water, as about 60,000 litres per day would be required to maintain the pitches.
The IPL tournament will commence from April 9 and the first match will be played in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. A total of 20 matches will be played in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. The finals of the tournament scheduled on May 29 will also be held at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Earlier, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla ruled out shifting the matches out of Maharashtra due to drought and water scarcity in the state.
