Water War Hits IPL As NGT Issues Final Notices to 6 Stadiums Over Groundwater Use
The National Green Tribunal has issued notices to IPL stadiums to verify whether they are using treated sewage water instead of groundwater and complying with rainwater harvesting norms
The National Green Tribunal issued an official notice to all concerned IPL stadiums enquiring about the source of water being used to maintain these pitches. This was done to ensure that water from sewage treatment plants was put to use for this routine maintenance and not fresh or groundwater. The stadiums were also asked to install rainwater harvesting systems for proper storage, disposal and restoration of groundwater.
National Green Tribunal serves notices to IPL venues. Delhi, Lucknow, Raipur & Jaipur among them. Authorities say tmatches will go on as per schedule even as the NGT asked why the activities should not be stopped at the venues. @Xpress_Sports @indraneel0 https://t.co/1UIh5gJLDA
— firoz mirza (@scribefiroz237) April 23, 2026
One responded while 6 others received the final notice
Amidst the stadiums which received the notice, rajiv gandhi international stadium responded with a time extension request. NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert members Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad observed that "the learned counsel appearing for Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, has submitted that he has received the instructions today, and the reply along with all the details will be submitted within three weeks".
"Learned counsel for the applicant has advanced the submission that the remaining six stadiums have not filed their response until now, nor are they appearing before the Tribunal or responding to the repeated orders of the Tribunal. He has submitted that these stadiums are duly served," said the order.
The six stadiums that received the final notice to respond are the Arun Jaitley Stadium (Delhi), Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium (Raipur), Sawai Mansingh Stadium (Jaipur), Dr DY Patil Stadium (Mumbai), Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium (Lucknow) and Barabati Stadium (Cuttack).
Arun Jaitley Stadium's response to the notice
"DDCA had received a notice from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) in the year 2024 regarding the use of groundwater at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. We carried out all the compliances as required under the guidance of CGWA. We have carried out all the compliances and have complied with the directions issued by the Tribunal from time to time. We are taking necessary steps to bring the correct position on the judicial record," RR Singh, DDCA's spokesperson, said.
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