DROUGHT

No stay for IPL opening match at Wankhede

wankhede-stadium-in-mumbai-reuters Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai | Reuters

Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to stay the opening match of the 9th edition of Indian Premier League between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiants scheduled on Saturday at the Wankhede stadium.

However, there was no verdict on whether the other 18 matches to be held in Maharashtra will have to be shifted out of the state.

A division bench of justice V.M. Kande and justice M.S. Karnik asked the Maharashtra government to make a statement by April 12 on whether water supplied to stadiums is potable or non potable. The court also directed the government to investigate from where the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gets the rest of the water, if the government supplies it with only 22,000 litres of potable water.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed against hosting of IPL matches in Maharashtra as the state is reeling under unprecedented drought. The PIL, filed by Loksatta Movement, sought shifting of IPL matches out of Maharashtra and wanted a stay on the matches scheduled in other cities in the state as well in view of the water crisis.

"The petition is filed just before the IPL matches are to begin from April 9...we do not propose to grant a stay at this stage...we want to know the source of water supplied to the cricket grounds for maintaining the pitches", the bench observed in its order.

While hereing the plea, the court had earlier said that the priority should be given to people and not to the game.

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Topics : #IPL

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