IPL 2016: Water woes follow IPL to Jaipur

Mahesh Pareek, a freelance journalist, filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Wednesday seeking the shifting of three Mumbai Indians’ matches scheduled to be held at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh stadium. Mumbai Indians opted for Jaipur as their alternative home venue after the Bombay High Court ordered the shifting of IPL matches in the month of May out of drought-hit Maharashtra.

“The matches were shifted from Maharashtra because of drought. Well, there is a drought in Rajasthan too. The Bombay HC intervened on a similar plea, moving the matches out. We hope the Rajasthan HC also decides in our favour,” Prateek Kasliwal, the petitioner’s lawyer told .

Pareek cited articles 21 and 47 of the constitution as the basis for his plea in the petition filed in the Rajasthan High Court.

“Cricket, which comes under leisure or entertainment, is at the bottom end of priorities as far as the public use of water is concerned,” Prateek Kasliwal added.

The PIL, which was filed on Wednesday, has the Rajasthan government, the BCCI, and the RCA as respondents and will come up for hearing on Thursday.

“A huge quantity (nearly 80 lakh litres) of water is proposed and ready to be willingly wasted by the respondent No. 1 to 4 (state government and its various water-related departments), for the purpose of maintaining the cricket pitches on the venue i.e. Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur which has been nominated for Indian Premier League 2016, replacing the State of Maharashtra in light of the order of Hon’ble Bombay High Court dated 14.04.2016,” the petition says.