The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the chairman of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) “to convene a meeting of all concerned and issue necessary directions to ensure that there is no unnecessary wastage of water” during the IPL matches at Chinnaswamy stadium.
A Division Benchpassed the order while disposing a PIL petition, filed by Srinivasa Sharma, a priest and an environmental activist, seeking an ‘audit’ of water usage at the stadium to ascertain wastage.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel pointed out that the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on April 9 replied to the petitioner’s legal notice informing that the KSCA has installed a sewage water treatment plant at a cost Rs. 85 lakh and it would be functional within a week.
The KSCA had also informed the petitioner that it requires about 18,000 litres every day to maintain the pitch. It will not require water from the BWSSB once the treatment plant, which will generate about 2.10 lakh litres daily, becomes operational.
When the petitioner’s counsel pointed out that he is not seeking shifting of matches but is only concerned about the quantity of water used for private commercial cricket events, like IPL, when the city is facing a shortage of drinking water, the Bench asked why the petitioner is only concerned with cricket when large quantities of water is used for maintenance of golf courses and swimming pools.
The ksca way
18,000 litres required daily to maintain pitch
Has waste water treatment plant
Plant will generate 2.10 lakh litres every day
