Water crisis, a larger issue than IPL: Rajasthan High Court

The Rajasthan High Court has asked the state government to explain how they are planning to meet the issues of drinking water for the months of May and June. Apparently, 19 out of the 33 districts in Rajasthan are facing severe water crisis. The Bombay High Court had earlier asked the IPL committee to shift the matches out of the state following drought conditions in Maharashtra. As a result, the Mumbai Indians opted for Jaipur as their alternate home venue. The Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) accepted the offer.

The directive from the state court came right after Mahesh Pareek filed a PIL in the High Court to explain the logic behind shifting of IPL matches to Rajasthan from Maharashtra, despite having severe water crisis in Rajasthan. The division bench of acting chief justice Ajay Rastogi and DC Somani asked the government to give a detailed report on the same.

The court said that IPL might bring the city to the limelight but is certainly not a bigger issue than the ongoing water crisis in Rajasthan. “IPL is a small issue; the larger point is the looming water crisis. The government has to balance both the issues based on priorities.”

The counsel for the petitioner Prateek Kasliwal said the situation on the water front is very grave and the government seems to be unaware of it. “We are not against entertainment but the issue of drinking water is of paramount importance and should be the priority of the government as per the water policy,” he said.

The court adjourned the hearing till May 3 and the government now has to come up with a detailed report on the same in the next hearing. The RCA, in the favor of IPL matches, said that the water supply for the stadium has been cut for now in order to save the water for the match days.

Read Also – IPL water woes continue in Rajasthan