The National Green Tribunal has barred three cricket grounds from carrying out any sporting activity without its permission, saying they have failed to respond despite notices from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) and the court on groundwater use.
According to a report by news agency PTI, the Environment Agency has issued an interim order against the use of groundwater or fresh water for maintenance of cricket grounds instead of treated water at a sewage treatment plant (STP), and against not installing rainwater harvesting systems for groundwater storage, drainage and recovery.
The affected stadiums are DY Patel Stadium in Mumbai, Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
Earlier in April, the court had issued notices to six cricket stadiums across the country, including the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, asking them to explain why their activities should not be halted for not disclosing to the CGWA the source of water used for maintenance of the stadium and grounds.
Apart from the four stadiums already mentioned, the other two stadiums mentioned in provisional order are the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow and the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
Why were the other three stadiums saved?
In an interim order dated July 2, made available on Friday, a bench of NGT Chairman Justice Prakash Shrivastava and learned member Afroz Ahmed noted that the Barabati Stadium had sought four weeks to file a response, the Lucknow Stadium had already filed a response, and the Arun Jaitley Stadium had also filed a response, following which the CGWA had sought some additional information.
Advocates Adnan, Satyam Shekhar and Abhik Chandra, representing the applicant, maintained that the remaining three stadiums were not responding to repeated notices and, despite charging costs, did not bother to respond.
The CGWA’s lawyer said that these three venues had been notified repeatedly, but had not provided any response.
“In view of the serious problem of water shortage in different parts of the country, we expected that these stadiums would duly respond to the notice of the court and would take appropriate corrective action, but despite repeated notices not only from the court but also from the CGWA, these three stadiums did not bother to file any response…” the court said.
“Therefore, in such circumstances, through an interim direction, we prohibit the following three stadiums – Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, and DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai – from carrying out any further sporting activity at the stadium without the court’s permission till the date of the next hearing,” it added.
The case was adjourned for further proceedings on August 17.
