Bombay High Court had allowed IPL's debut match to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (Press Trust of India photo)
Highlights
- No verdict today on whether 19 matches will be moved from Maharashtra
- State battling drought, cities and villages have no water
- Will use only treated sewage water to prep pitches, say organisers
A forensic lab must confirm whether the water that was used for the opening match of the IPL tournament was potable or treatable for drinking, the Bombay High Court said today.
The judges said they wanted a verification of the Maharashtra government's claim that at a time when the state is devastated by drought, water is not being squandered on cricket pitches.
A few days ago, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said "it would not bother me" if the IPL is moved out of Maharashtra. Repeating that stand, the government told the court, that is has no objection if matches are cancelled for Maharashtra "even though there is a loss of revenue."
This did not go down well. Judges tartly responded, "Loss of revenue - that's what they are worried about, not people."
The Bombay High Court had allowed the debut match of the tournament to be played at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, but has threatened to cancel the remaining 19 matches scheduled for Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.
To prevent that, the Board of Control for Cricket in India or the BCCI reassured judges today that only treated sewage water will be used to prep the venues for the eight cricket matches currently scheduled in Mumbai and nine set for Pune. The court has asked if the Pune games can be moved voluntarily by the organizers.
The judges asked the cash-rich BCCI if it's willing to donate to the Chief Minister's drought relief fund.
The hearing will continue tomorrow.
The state government also provided the court with a detailed report on how it's tackling the drought. The update included a reference to a special train that pulled into Latur today with huge supplies of water.