Potable water will not be used for IPL: MCA to Bombay high court

Mumbai: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has informed the Bombay high court that this year it would not use potable water for watering the pitch and other maintenance work at the Wankhede stadium during Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. It has also said that the association would only use water conserved from rainwater harvesting system and from its own ring wells, which are constructed in the stadium.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice P.N. Deshmukh was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the NGO Loksatta Movement in 2016, opposing IPL matches scheduled in Mumbai and  the state that year, due to the prevailing drought-like situation in Maharashtra at the time.

Recently, MCA’s counsel A.S. Khandeparkar told the court that around 3,30,000 litres of water would be required for the above purposes on each day of the IPL match in the city. He could not state for sure whether the MCA would adopt same practice in the future.

The bench has now fixed the case for February 28 for the final disposal, where it will examine all the aspects in detail before passing the final order on the issue.

In 2016 the high court had shifted all IPL matches out of the state. The PIL had also urged the court to ensure that the provisions of the state as well as the national water policy were adhered to for the IPL matches in the future.

The national water policy mandates that when it comes to water supply, first priority must be given to drinking purposes, second to agriculture, third to industrial needs, fourth to sports and the last to religious and entertainment activities.