IPL 9: MCA willing to provide water to drought-hit areas in Maharashtra, says BCCI to Bombay HC

New Delhi: The BCCI has said to the Bombay High Court, that the Maharashtra Cricket Association is willing to provide water to affected areas reeling under drought. The Bombay HC had been hearing the apprehensions of moving the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches out of Pune and Mumbai due to severe water crisis.

BCCI has claimed to pay Rs. 5 crore directly for drought relief. They have also assured that the RWITC has given in undertaking that they will not back out.

The BCCI has also stated that the board will provide equivalent amount of water used for the Indian Premier League. 

According to report in ANI, the BCCI has gone on to say that the RWITC has given undertaking about supply of required recycled sewage water for Mumbai and Pune stadiums.

A report in the Hindustan Times claims that the HC it's ready to supply 64 lakh litres of unpotable water to drought affected areas in Maharashtra.

Hearing on IPL matches in Maharashtra, the BCCI has also informed court that, they will try to shift matches in Nagpur somewhere else.

"We will consult VCA to shift Nagpur matches somewhere else".

With water scarcity looming in the state, BCCI says that they are many ways to find long term solutions for the problem.

The BCCI also argued against the plea saying that transferring matches would have been possible if it was taken a month back.

Meanwhile, the Pune franchise have told the court that they have invested a lot of money, and that shifting matches out will disturb the economic balance and brand value.

According to report in the Hindustan Times, the Mumbai and Pune franchise will donate Rs.5 crore each towards the CM's drought relief fund. This comes after the Bombay HC on Tuesday, had asked the BCCI to consider shifting the tournament out of state and has demanded answers from the board.

The Bombay HC also questioned the BCCI that whether the board can provide 40 lacs litre water which it used earlier to the affected drought areas?

The second question was how much fund can the board donate to the Chief Minister fund for drought affected areas? 

The Bombay High Court will take a final decision today in connection with shifting the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches out of drought-hit Maharashtra.