No IPL matches in Maharashtra in May: Bombay HC says it cannot ignore plight of drought victims

Bombay High Court has asked the BCCI to shift all the IPL matches scheduled after 30^th April to venues outside Maharashtra.The order will affect 13 matches which were scheduled to be held in Maharashtra in May, including the final that was to be held in Mumbai on May 29.

Division Bench comprising of Justices V.M. Kanade and M.S. Karnik while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by NGO Loksatta Movement and others observed that the plight of drought victims cannot be ignored.

The bench reportedly said "It will be better if the IPL matches are held outside Maharashtra" and“cannot act as a mute spectator and ignore the plight of people”

The Court further said “We agree that merely shifting of IPL matches out of the state will not be a solution, but diverting water to villages which otherwise would have been used for maintaining pitches will help resolve the problem to a large extent,”

During the hearing Justice Kanade remarked “We were informed that RWITC (Royal Western India Turf Club) will supply sewage-treated water for maintenance of pitches. In our view it will not be possible for court or government to monitor if this is being done even as RWITC has given an undertaking stating the same. This does not satisfy us,Court cannot be blind to the plight of millions of people. In certain areas, livestock are dying due to scarcity of water. In areas like Latur, water is being supplied twice in a month. The condition is the same in cities next to Mumbai like Thane, Kalyan. Even Pune is reeling under severe water shortage.”