Amidst the escalating water crisis in the city, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Karnataka State Cricket Association and other relevant state authorities to provide details of water usage at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during IPL matches. The NGT has requested the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to disclose information on the quantity and source of water being used in the stadium by May 2.
The Tribunal has issued notice to the Karnataka State Cricket Association and others on a suo motu matter initiated by a media report titled “Bengaluru stadium to get treated water supply for IPL matches amid crisis”. The NGT in its order has noted that BWSSB, KSPCB and the Deputy Commissioner did not have the details of groundwater being used in the Stadium and subsequently asked them to furnish details.
The stadium is scheduled to hold four more IPL matches on April 15 (vsSunrisers Hyderabad), May 4 (vs Gujarat Titans), May 12 (vs Delhi Capitals) and May 18 (vs Chennai Super Kings).
This comes just a few days after the Karnataka government moved the Supreme Court over drought relief from Centre. According to the Karnataka government, it has waited for over five months for release of the NDRF grant before filing a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the Centre.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, issued an order on April 1, 2024, instructing the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to submit a comprehensive report outlining the quantity and sources of water utilized at the concerned stadium, along with the quality of treated water supplied.
The tribunal highlighted that the stadium in question is tapping into groundwater reserves, raising concerns about sustainable water management.
The BWSSB, responding to a request from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), has authorized the supply of treated water from the Cubbon Park Wastewater Treatment Plant to meet the stadium’s water needs during the matches. With three matches lined up in Bengaluru, an estimated 75,000 litres of water per day are projected to be consumed at the stadium.
Bengaluru is facing a severe water shortage. The news article sheds light on Bengaluru’s severe water scarcity issue, with a daily deficit of 500 million liters against the city’s actual requirement of 2,600 MLD. Of the 14,000 borewells in the city, 6,900 have already dried up, prompting the Karnataka Water Supply and Sewerage Board (KWSSB) to impose restrictions on non-essential water usage activities such as car washing, gardening, and construction.
The Karnataka government declared drought in 223 sub-districts out of the total 236 sub-districts in the state. According to the state government it has sent three memoranda to Centre, but is yet to receive any money.
According to the petition by the Karnataka government, Out of 223 affected sub-districts, 196 sub-districts have been severely affected and 27 have been moderately affected.
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