HC orders All IPL matches to be shifted out of drought-hit state from April 30
Press Trust Of India
Mumbai: In a big blow to BCCI, the Bombay High Court Wednesday ordered shifting of all IPL matches scheduled in Maharashtra after April 30 to another state in view of the severe drought in the state, leaving the cricket board 18 days to look for new venues for 13 matches in May.
This means that 13 matches, including the final in Mumbai May 29, cannot be held in Maharashtra.
The order came despite an assurance by BCCI that IPL franchises of Mumbai and Pune had agreed to contribute `5 crore to the Chief Minister’s Drought Relief Fund.
“We agree that merely shifting of IPL matches out of the state will not be a solution but this can be a beginning to address the drought situation in Maharashtra. Several people are dying because of water scarcity in the state. This court cannot ignore the plight of such people,” a division bench of Justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik said.
The order came on a PIL by NGO ‘Loksatta Movement’ which challenged the use of over 60 lakh litres of water for ground management despite drought in the state and had sought for all the matches to be shifted out of Maharashtra.
The court also noted that several districts in Maharashtra are not even getting water for sanitation and other purposes and that the non-potable water being used by the stadiums to maintain pitches can be of use in such districts.
“In such cases one would have expected the BCCI and other respondents (Maharash-tra Cricket Association and Bombay Cricket Association) to come forward on their own and shift the matches out of Maharashtra. However, unfortunately, nothing has been done. This court has now no other option than to direct BCCI to transfer matches out of Maharashtra,” the court said.
“All matches to be held from April 30 onwards in Maharashtra will have to be shifted to another state. We are giving the authorities 15 days time to make all necessary arrangements,” the court said.
After April 30, 13 matches were scheduled to be held in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur which includes an eliminator match May 25 and qualifier match May 27 in Pune and the finals May 29 in Mumbai.
Earlier in the day, Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) through BCCI gave an undertaking to the court that it would supply over 60 lakh litres treated sewage water to maintain pitches in Mumbai and Pune stadiums. BCCI had Tuesday agreed to shift three matches out of Nagpur.
BCCI counsel Rafiq Dada Wednesday told the court that the cricket board and the IPL franchises were ready to procure equal amount of sewage treated water from RWITC and supply it to drought-hit areas.