Mumbai: In a bid to ensure water is not wasted in drought-hit Maharashtra, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today told the Bombay High Court that only sewage treated water would be supplied to stadiums in Mumbai and Pune for maintaining pitches in IPL matches.
"In 17 matches of IPL in Mumbai and Pune we will use treated sewage water," BCCI lawyer informed Bombay HC during hearing on wastage of water during IPL matches in the state.
The lawyer said that recycled sewage water will be sufficient for the board to maintain pitches and thus this will help in tackling water crisis without using potable water.
The PIL has been filed by an NGO named Loksatta Movement, which has questioned the need for holding IPL matches in Maharashtra as it would lead to a huge wastage of water when large parts of the state are reeling under severe water shortage.
The Bombay High Court, which allowed the debut match of the tournament to be played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai last week, had lambasted the BCCI for wasting water to prepare pitches for IPL tournament. It had also threatened to order that the remaining 19 matches in the state be relocated to states that have more water.
At that time, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis had made it clear that the state government will not provide potable water for IPL matches.
Maharashtra is facing acute shortage of water for the past two decades. Marathwada is one of the most water-deprived regions of state. Rivers, canals, ponds and nallas have dried up. The ongoing drought has evoked comparisons with the great drought of 1972.
