Comment
By Bobby Naqvi
UAE Editor
Dubai
The ban on Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches to prevent water wastage is another example of a knee-jerk reaction to natural calamities.
The Bombay High Court yesterday ordered shifting of 13 matches outside Maharashtra in view of the drought situation in several districts of Marathwada, a region where thousands of farmers have committed suicide in the last two years. This order, the court said, will save water used for pitches and outfields at three stadiums where the matches were to be played.
It is hard to understand how water saved in three cities will reach the drought-hit districts. In any case, some estimates say, the three stadiums would have used around six million litres of water or less than 0.2 per cent of Mumbai’s daily water demand.
Early this week, a train carrying water sent to Latur made national headlines. The next day, a senior official poured cold water on the train stunt by saying the district has enough water to last till the arrival of monsoon in June. Clearly, government steps on fighting drought have been largely cosmetic and aimed at creating a media buzz.
While criticising the cricket administrators, Wednesday’s court order was silent on continued inaction of the state in reaching out to the parched villagers or for its failure to launch a concrete plan to prevent the suicides. The symbolic act of banning the matches may have satisfied the conscience of the judges. It is, however, unlikely to bring succour to the millions who are suffering from long spells of drought.
