3 months ago
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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up assorted cricket stadiums crossed the state for inactive utilizing groundwater to irrigate their grounds, alternatively of treated wastewater, arsenic per a caller order.
It besides imposed a good of ₹5,000 each connected Arun Jaitley Stadium successful Delhi and 11 different stadiums for not submitting the required details astir their water usage to the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), arsenic ordered by the court.
“It appears that IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali/Punjab Cricket Association is not inclined to comply with the orders of the Tribunal and without utilising the STP treated h2o it intends to proceed utilizing the groundwater which has a superior adverse interaction connected the environment,” the NGT said successful an bid dated January 22, 2026.
The bid noted that the concern was “somewhat similar” successful immoderate different cricket associations arsenic well.
CGWA study
The bid quoted a study by the CGWA, which showed that Eden Gardens stadium successful Kolkata besides relies wholly connected groundwater. But the stadium was successful the process of mounting up rainwater harvesting and sewage attraction plants, arsenic per the order.
“The illustration reflects that Jamtha, Nagpur/Vidarbha Cricket Association, Eden Gardens, Kolkata/The Cricket Association of Bengal, Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Lahli, Karyavattom Sports Facilities Limited, Kerala and ACA Stadium, Baraspara, Guwahati are utilizing the groundwater,” the bid said.
These cricket associations person been directed to taxable their explanations wrong six weeks.
On the contented of non-submission of the required details by 12 cricket associations, the tribunal said it has “delayed” the determination successful this matter. “Hence, outgo of ₹5,000/- each is imposed upon the supra 12 cricket associations who person not submitted a transcript of the reply to the CGWA... Subject to deposit of this cost, these 12 cricket associations are granted six weeks’ clip to furnish a transcript of the reply to the CGWA,” the bid said.
Application filed successful 2021
The Principal Bench of the NGT, comprising of Chairperson Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member A. Senthil Vel gave the bid connected an ‘original application’ filed successful 2021 astir cricket grounds utilizing groundwater for attraction of fields and not utilizing treated h2o from STPs oregon installing rainwater harvesting systems, depriving radical of potable h2o for drinking.
In April 2021, the NGT had disposed of the matter, directing the Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) to clasp a associated gathering wrong 1 period with the authorities acrophobic to modulate the extraction of groundwater for the attraction of cricket grounds.
In 2023, the applicant filed an ‘execution application’ successful the aforesaid case, citing that the April 2021 directions of the NGT was not followed and cricket stadiums were utilizing groundwater, without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC), and they person besides not explored the anticipation of utilizing treated h2o from STPs.
Later successful 2023, the MoJS told the NGT that retired of 26 stadiums inspected successful antithetic parts of the country, 24 had borewells oregon tubewells for extracting groundwater, and lone 4 of them had the required NOC.
