Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Kudos to Indian Judiciary!' that was published in Newsband

Kudos to Indian Judiciary!

Because of acute water crisis in parts of Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court has evicted the Indian Premier League from the State’s cricket stadiums. All matches scheduled for May this season will be relocated. The Mumbai High Court’s order has succeeded in drawing attention to the seriousness of the drought situatio

n and the gross inequities that prevail in the way people access water.

In Latur, where the traditional sources of water have run dry, Section 144 has had to be imposed to prevent into a water riot. Trains carrying water are now being despatched to Latur. In other parts of India too, there is acute shortage, notably in the Bundelkhand region.

We are coming off two years of deficient rainfall. Water levels in 91 major reservoirs is alarmingly low, with no water currently in three reservoirs in Maharashtra. The country’s groundwater is over-exploited. The country will only begin to make the livelihood of farmers sustainable when it addresses the water crisis

The government ought to take every caution in its pattern of water usage now. And it should remain extra considerate if it is going for plans or programmes which will drive extra consumption of water for fancy affairs like that of IPL. This is not to oppose IPL matches being played in Maharashtra and the state earning good revenue out of it. The decision to shift cricket matches outside seems to be a move to bring awareness of the gravity of situation to the general public who seem too busy to care about anything outside their usual routine. What better way than Cricket in India can be there to publicize and gain wide media coverage to this grave situation?

The move will at least make everyone aware that the situation is so worse that their favourite game had to be shifted outside their state due to water crises. The judicial in our country is not foolish to make such moves. The game will not be affected and the matches will be played elsewhere. The people will get to watch the telecast as well. But, the point has been put across by the bench in an excellent manner. Kudos to Indian Judiciary!