Chhattisgarh HC bats for IPL matches

Court rejects plea against holding two matches in drought-hit state, but put onus on water supply on match organisers

The Chhattisgarh High Court (HC) has rejected pleas challenging the hosting of Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches in the state on the ground that it was reeling under serious drought.

The court has, however, put the condition that the event organisers, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association (CSCA), should arrange water for the matches including free drinking water to spectators. Neither the state government nor its agency would provide water for the event.

A five-member committee has been constituted to ensure that the court's order is implemented.

Raipur is the second home ground of GMR group-owned Delhi Daredevils. The first one is Delhi. The team will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 20, and Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 22 in the 56th and the last league match of the season.

Besides Kisan Congress leader Chandrashekhar Shukla, RTI activists Kunal Shukla and Abhishek Pratap Singh had filed petitions in the Chhattisgarh HC challenging the holding of IPL matches in the state, stating water scarcity and drought condition. The state government had officially declared 117 tehsils of the 150 in the state as drought-hit.

A division bench of Justices Pritinker Diwaker and Inder Singh Uboweja passed the interim order rejecting the pleas, thereby ensuring that both the IPL matches proposed in Chhattisgarh would be played as per schedule.