Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra government to list out steps it planned to take over huge amounts of water being used to maintain pitches of cricket grounds for Indian Premier League matches to be held in the state.
A division bench of the court criticised the BCCI and Maharashtra and Mumbai cricket associations, and said: “Only if water supply to the BCCI is cut, you will understand.”
The Bombay High Court suggested that IPL matches be shifted out of Maharashtra, and said it was ultimately the state government’s responsibility and duty to do something about water wastage. The judges directed the government to spell out what steps it planned to tackle the issue.
“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,” the bench observed.
The Mumbai Cricket Association on Wednesday told the court that approximately over 40 lakh litres of water will be used for seven IPL matches.
The petitioner said that pending hearing of the PIL, the court should grant an interim order restraining cricket associations from using water to maintain pitches.
