Last Updated on January 31, 2026 10:44 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Staff Reporter / New Delhi
In a stern warning over depleting groundwater resources, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has come down heavily on major cricket stadiums across India for continuing to extract groundwater despite the ready availability of treated sewage water.
Hearing a matter related to water conservation and environmental protection, the Principal Bench of the Tribunal — comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, and Dr. A. Senthil Vel, Expert Member — expressed serious displeasure over what it termed blatant disregard for environmental norms.
A consolidated report by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) revealed that several high-profile stadiums are drawing large quantities of groundwater to maintain pitches and green belts.
The IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali was singled out for consuming nearly 6,000 kilolitres of groundwater every month, even though secondary and tertiary treated water is available from nearby sewage treatment plants.
Dismissing claims of non-availability of treated water, the Tribunal observed that such conduct reflects unwillingness to comply with the law and poses a direct threat to already stressed groundwater reserves.
Stadiums in Nagpur, Kolkata (Eden Gardens), Lahli (Haryana), Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), and Guwahati were also found continuing groundwater extraction.
The concerned cricket associations have been given six weeks to explain their actions and outline concrete steps to curb or stop groundwater use.
Taking a tougher stance, the Tribunal imposed costs of ₹5,000 each on 12 cricket associations — including those managing stadiums in Delhi, Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Indore, Dharamsala, Rajkot, Raipur, Cuttack, and Mumbai — for repeatedly ignoring directions to file compliance reports.
The penalty must be deposited with the Secretary of the NGT Bar Association within two weeks.
The case will next be heard on 16 April 2026, with the Tribunal signaling that continued non-compliance will invite stricter action.