Bombay High Court suggests BCCI to shift IPL matches out of Maharastra

The Bombay High Court has suggested Mumbai Cricket Association and other state cricket associations in Maharashtra to shift the IPL matches outside Maharashtra. The high court qestioned BCCI and the three state associations in Maharashtra on why water should be “wasted” on hosting IPL 2016 matches when the state is facing one of its worst-ever droughts. The court says that ideally Indian Premier League (IPL) matches should be shifted elsewhere, where there is no water crisis.

“Only if water supply to BCCI is cut, you will understand,” the court observed.

“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’.

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,” the court observed.

The court also told the state that eventually it is the government’s responsibility and duty to do something about this (water wastage) and impose some kind of restraint.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Loksatta Movement, a Mumbai-based NGO, which wanted the IPL matches, scheduled to be held in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, relocated following a severe statewide drought in recent months.

The PIL has challenged the use of nearly 60 lakh litres of water to maintain pitches at three stadiums in the state which will hold IPL matches.

The petitioner 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 high court said it will consider the interim relief sought by the petitioner, during the hearing tomorrow. The court also asked state acting Advocate General Rohit Deo to appear for the state government in the matter tomorrow.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s advocate Trupti Puranik told the high court today that they are supplying water to Wankhede stadium only for drinking purposes.

MCA’s advocate stated that the association is 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.

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 water shortage is not just in Marathwada region, the situation is equally bad in Thane, adjoining Mumbai, pointing out that from April 5 to 9, 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.

In fact, authorities in Parbhani town and Latur in the parched Marathwada region of the state, which is experiencing an unprecedented water scarcity this summer, have imposed prohibitory orders near water supply spots in the town.

Maharashtra is scheduled to host 20 matches in the ninth edition of the IPL. Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host eight matches, including the tournament opener on April 9 and the final on May 29. Nine matches have been allotted to the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, including the Eliminator on May 25 and Qualifier 2 on May 27, while three matches will be played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, designated as home games for Kings XI Punjab.

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