Grounds need to be watered, match or no match: Modi on IPL row

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today questioned the brouhaha over staging of IPL matches in the drought-affected areas, pointing out that cricket grounds are needed to be watered every day, whether a match is played or not.

He was speaking at a programme here where he launched projects under the Smart City mission across 20 cities.

"There is water crisis today...Sometimes, our media people distort the things way too much, and we cannot even play cricket. Wherever there is a stadium...Whether a cricket match is held or not, the ground needs to be watered 365 days (of the year)," he said.

There was opposition to holding of IPL matches this season in Maharashtra which witnessed a severe drought, and finally some matches had to be shifted elsewhere on the Bombay High Court's order.

"But the country believed it that since matches are not being held, so the watering also stopped...The country believed this," the Prime Minister added.

"They (grounds) have to be watered for 365 days, that's how the green cover remains...Otherwise there will be no game in the stadium even after two years...Don't know from where (they) bring this new philosophy," he added.

Due to the shifting of matches, Maharashtra had to bear a (revenue) loss, Modi said.