Asserting that the use of water for maintaining cricket pitches for Indian Premier league (IPl) matches was a criminal waste and wondering if cricket matches are more important than people, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday said in view of the grim water crunch in Maharashtra due to drought it would be better to shift the matches outside the State.
The court also asked the Maharashtra Government what steps it has taken to restrict wastage of water.
The HC asked BCCI and the cricket associations, “How can you waste water like this....Are people more important or your IPl matchesIJ...How can you be so carelessIJ Who wastes water like thisIJ This is criminal wastage. You know what the condition is in Maharashtra (about drought).”
“Ideally, you should shift the IPl matches to some other State where water is in abundance,” the court observed.