The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Bengaluru): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken action following reports concerning the use of treated water at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. This inquiry comes at a time when the city is experiencing a significant water shortage.
Justice Prakash Shrivastava of the NGT has directed the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to provide a detailed report on the quantity and source of water utilized at the stadium, as well as the quality of the treated water being supplied. This directive was issued after the tribunal was alerted by a media report, leading to a suo motu case.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), along with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and other local authorities, has been asked to respond to the tribunal’s queries. These inquiries aim to clarify the decisions surrounding the allocation of approximately 75,000 litres of water per day from the Cubbon Park Wastewater Treatment Plant for the cricket matches.
The issue highlights the broader water scarcity challenges in Bengaluru, where the daily shortfall reaches about 500 million liters compared to the necessary 2,600 million liters per day (MLD). The city’s struggle is exacerbated by over half of its 14,000 borewells running dry, prompting the BWSSB to impose restrictions on the use of drinking water for non-essential purposes like car washing and gardening.
This case underlines the tension between hosting large-scale events and managing essential resources in a sustainable manner, especially in contexts of acute environmental stress. The NGT’s intervention seeks to ensure that such activities do not exacerbate the existing water crisis in Bengaluru.