Bombay High Court had allowed IPL's debut match to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (Press Trust of India photo)
Highlights
- Organisers said they would use treated sewage water to prep pitches
- Maharashtra reeling under drought, cities and villages have no water
- Court to decide on moving 19 IPL matches out of Maharashtra
Treated sewage or grey water, is harmful for humans, and its use to water cricket pitches can even harm the players, the Bombay High Court has been told.
The Board of Cricket Control had suggested yesterday that it would use treated sewage water to water the pitch - which needs around 15,000 litres of water each time.
As the Bombay high court heard a plea challenging the use of large quantities of water in stadiums in the drought-hit state, various state cricket boards have pitched on treated sewage water to use in stadiums.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association has already built a sewage treatment plant in the premises of the Chinnaswamy Stadium at a cost of Rs 85 lakh. The plant is expected to be commissioned this week.
"IPL is for only entertainment. So what's more important, entertainment or people's survival? Grey water is harmful for humans. So players will also be exposed to harmful grey water," the petitioners told the court today.
The cricket board's argument did not convince the court, which ordered all matches of the IPL, including the final, which will be held in Mumbai on May 29, be moved out of the state.
While cricket associations had offered to ensure 60 lakh litres of treated sewage water free of cost to any region picked by the government to compensate for the water used on pitches, the court said the water meant for cricket pitches should be diverted to drought-hit areas like Latur.