NGT slaps Rs 5,000 fine each on 12 cricket stadia for not providing groundwater use details

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has slapped Rs 5,000 fine each on 12 cricket stadia across the country for failing to submit replies to the Central Ground Water Authority regarding the use of groundwater to irrigate cricket grounds.

The tribunal also rapped the IS Bindra Stadium of Mohali under the Punjab Cricket Association for using 6,000 Kilo Litres per Month (KLM) of groundwater to irrigate the ground, without installing any sewage treatment plant (STP).

The green body was hearing a plea against the use of groundwater or fresh water to maintain cricket grounds instead of the STP-treated water, and the non-installation of rain water harvesting system for storage, discharge and restoration of groundwater.

A bench of NGT Chairperson Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said a CGWA report disclosed that 12 stadia or cricket associations did not comply with the tribunal's earlier order to provide details regarding the use of fresh water.

These comprised Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi; Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur; DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai; Holkar Stadium, Indore; MCA Cricket Stadium, Gahunje, Pune; Green Park Stadium, Kanpur; Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow; Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad; Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala; Barabati Stadium, Cuttack; Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot; and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur.

"The non-submission of report by the above cricket associations has delayed decision in this matter. Hence, a cost of Rs 5,000 each is imposed upon the above 12 cricket associations who have not submitted a copy of the reply to the CGWA," said the tribunal's order dated January 22.

Quoting the CGWA report, the NGT said the IS Bindra Stadium had been using 6,000 KLM groundwater for irrigating the ground and that it did not install any STP. Fresh water was being used despite the availability of secondary and tertiary treated water from nearby STPs, it noted.

"The plea of the counsel (for the association) that the treated water is not available cannot be accepted. It appears that the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali under Punjab Cricket Association is not inclined to comply with the tribunal's orders, and without utilising the STP-treated water, it intends to continue using the groundwater, which has a serious adverse impact on the environment," the bench said.

It said a "somewhat similar situation" was seen for other associations as well.

"The chart (submitted by CGWA) reflects that Jamtha, Nagpur under Vidarbha Cricket Association; Eden Gardens, Kolkata under The Cricket Association of Bengal; Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Lahli; Karyavattom Sports Facilities Limited, Kerala; and ACA Stadium, Baraspara, Guwahati are using the groundwater," it said, seeking an explanation from these stadia within six weeks.

It underlined that these stadia or cricket associations had to disclose the steps taken till now to avoid the use of groundwater for irrigating the cricket ground.

The matter has been posted for further proceedings on April 16.