Mumbai: The Bombay High Court rapped the BCCI and cricket associations in Maharashtra and Mumbai over water wastage. When the state is rolling under severe drought, ideally Indian Premier League (IPL) matches should be moved somewhere else, where there is no water shortage, it said.

While hearing a PIL filed by NGO ‘Loksatta Movement’, a division bench headed by Justices V M Kanade and M S Karnik said, “How can you (cricket associations and BCCI) waste water like this? Are people more important or your IPL matches? How can you be so careless? Who wastes water like this? This is criminal wastage. You know what the condition is in Maharashtra.”

The court observed, “Only if water supply to BCCI is cut, you will understand.” The court also told the state that eventually it is the government’s responsibility and obligation to do something about this (water wastage) and command some control.

The IPL tournament is set to begin on April 9. However, the first match is to be played at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. A total of 20 matches will be performed in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. The finals of the match scheduled for May 29 will also be held at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The court had inquired replies from all other respondents, counting the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Vidarbha Cricket Association, Maharashtra government and the civic bodies of Mumbai and Nagpur. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) had told the high court that a huge loss would be caused if the matches are cancelled as the tickets for the IPL matches have been already sold out.

60,000 litres of water will be consumed every day for pitch maintenance in these stadiums, said the PIL.

Due to drought and water scarcity in the state, IPL Chairman, Rajiv Shukla ruled out shifting the venue of matches out of Maharashtra.