The Bombay High Court on Wednesday allowed one Indian Premier League (IPL) match to be played in Maharashtra.
A division bench of Justice V M Kanade and Justice M S Karnik allowed the May 1 to be played between Rising Pune Supergiants and Mumbai Indians at the Pune MCA stadium.
Senior Counsel Rafiq Dada appearing for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sought consideration from the court citing logistical reasons.
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The application filed on April 16 points out that Pune has home matches against Gujarat Lions on April 29 and against Mumbai Indians on May 1. So it is practically impossible for BCCI and the franchise to shift the May 1 match to an alternative venue outside Maharashtra and make all the arrangements for the same in just a single day.
On April 13, the court granted BCCI and other Cricket Associations 15 days to make all arrangements to shift out.
The court said they had expected the cricket associations to come forward on their own and shift all the venues outside the State but no such decision was taken. The court also directed the State to monitor that no potable water should be used during the matches.
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The bench observed that shifting of IPL matches alone won't solve the problem alone but it can be a beginning so that water used for pitches can be diverted to affected areas.
In its order the court said, "We are disturbed by the stand taken by the State" and said "Can the State turn a blind eye towards the scarcity of water."
The matter is adjourned for two weeks. The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by NGO Loksatta Movement points out that at a time when the State is reeling through the worst kind of drought in a century and is facing acute shortage of water as the level of water in dams and lakes in the State has gone down, 60 lakhs litres of water is being wasted for maintaining the cricket pitches for the IPL.