In the gross reality of the water deficient state of Maharashtra, as many as 1,109 farmers ended their lives distressed over crop failure in 2015. Ironically, the country will witness the star-studded opening ceremony of the cricket extravaganza Indian Premier League (IPL) in the same state in a couple of days.
How is the aggrieved agrarian life of the state expected to react to the affluent event that requires several thousand cusecs of water just to maintain the cricket turfs? And how is it nothing short of a ‘Roman luxury’? Now, these are questions which the high court of Maharashtra put across to BCCI and IPL organizers as food for thought.
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“How can you waste water like this? Are people more important or IPL? How can you be so careless?” the court asked the BCCI on behalf of the drought stricken farmers of the state. “This is a criminal wastage. You known the situation in Maharashtra,” added the court suggesting to take the event out of the severely drought hit state.
Former journalist Ketan Tirodkar had moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the court questioning the callous wastage of water. Tirodakr has sought a court order to recover Rs 1000 for each litre of water ‘wasted’ to maintain the pitches during the tournament.
“It requires 22 lakh liters of water for making a cricket pitch. Additional water is required for maintenance of the pitch,” the PIL stated. It also claimed that in 2013, 65 lakh litres of water was used to maintain pitches at the Wankhede in Mumbai, DY Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai and Sahara in Pune.
According to reports, nearly 70 lakh litres of water would be required for the 19 matches scheduled in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur as the part of IPL 6.
The PIL, which terms the cricket tournament a ‘Roman luxury for India’, throws light on the ground realities in the drought-hit regions in Marathwada.
“Each house in Latur is getting barely 20 litres of water a day. So the state government has decided to send 50 wagons with a capacity of 55,000 litres each daily to Latur district within a fortnight to meet the drinking water requirement of the local population,” it added.
The high court has also ordered the state government to take steps to prevent the wastage of water and to inform the court of actions that it intends to take.
However, the businessmen from the cricketing enterprise continue to downplay the seriousness of the issue. “Our sentiments are with drought-affected Marathwada. But some litres of water needed for two-three grounds will not solve the water problem. Matches will continue as per schedule,” NDTV quoted IPL’s chairman Rajiv Shukla.
