On Tuesday, Bombay High Court asked Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) whether they continue on the decision to not supply additional water to the Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai) during the IPL 2018.
During the hearing a PIL that was filed by NGO ‘Loksatta Movement’ in 2016, Justices A S Oka and Riyaz Chagla’s division bench raised the concern over water usage for the ground management during IPL. The state was facing the drought at that time.
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In April 2016, the high court had ordered the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to transfer the May months IPL matches from Maharashtra to other states.
In an earlier hearing, BMC told high court that they didn’t provide any special supply of water to the Wankhede Stadium for last three years. Justice Oka said on that, “Is the civic body willing to continue this statement that there would be no special supply of water to the stadium during the IPL tournament? File an affidavit.”
The hearing date of the petition is on April 6. The court also mentioned that the civic body affidavit should also clarify the rate of the supplied water to the stadium as they want to know whether those supplied water had provided at the commercial rate.
The government has the policy on water supply as that is divided into four different categories on the priority basis. While the drinking purpose comes to the first category, for events such as ‘Shahi Snan’ comes to the fourth or last category.
While the petitioner has claimed that IPL comes to the last category, BCCI and MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association) have claimed that IPL comes under the category of recreation due to it is a sports event.
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IPL 2018 will begin on April 7. The opening match will be played at Wankhede Stadium between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. Among the 60 matches in this IPL season, Wankhede will host total 9 matches. While first seven matches will be the home matches for Mumbai Indians, the last two will be playoffs (Qualifier 1 and Final). The final match will also be played at this venue on May 27.
