With rural Maharashtra currently plagued with drought, BJP Secretary Vivekanada Gupta has requested the BCCI to shift all Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to cities outside the state.
In a letter directed to BCCI Chief Shashank Manohar, Gupta said, “A standard cricket field requires close to 80,000 to 1,00,000 litres per application. Considering the current state of affairs in Maharashtra, it is unethical to fulfil these demands. 90 lakh farmers have been affected in the drought, with the Vidarbha region being the worse affected.”
In his statement, Gupta also added that close to 3,00,000 litres of water will be required per week to meet stadium requirements. He added, “Is it wise to waste 70 lakh litres of water, when half the state can’t get a single drop of it? We must show our respect to the farmers, who are struggling right now.”
Maharashtra will host 19 IPL matches between Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, including the final in Wankhede stadium. The games are scheduled between April 9 and May 29. Gupta went on, “The BCCI President himself hails from this region, and I’m sure he will be able to understand the current plight of Maharashtra. We as a collective unit should value the lives of people more than sport.”
“The Marathwada region has not received rainfall in the last two years, the amount of water we waste in the stadium will sustain them for close to half a decade. We must prioritise,” he finished.
The tournament is all set to begin on April 9, with new outfit Rising Pune Super Giants (RPSG) squaring off against Mumbai Indians in a Maharashtra derby.
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