News article
Indian stadiums breach water regulations
Some 20 stadiums across India have been found to be in breach of regulations relating to water usage.
According to the Economic Times newspaper, a recent report from India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti found that out of 26 stadiums surveyed, 20 of them were found to be using borewells or tubewells to draw groundwater for irrigation.
This is a violation of regulations, as the venues were doing so without a valid no-objection certificate (NOC).
The report was submitted to the National Green Tribunal and revealed that show cause notices had been given to the management of each offending stadium. They have been instructed to adhere to regulations surrounding the implementation of rainwater harvesting systems and the utilisation of treated water from sewage treatment plants.
Of the 26 stadiums surveyed, 22 have been offered a three-month window to ensure compliance with the water usage rules.
Notable venues include Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and Eden Gardens in Kolkata, which have all been ordered to meet national standards.
The inspections were conducted by a team of representatives from the Central Groundwater Authority and state governments.
In 2021, the Central Groundwater Authority issued a public notice that mandated the installation of rainwater harvesting structures in stadiums, cricket grounds and other sporting venues. This came after complaints were made concerning the use of groundwater to maintain cricket grounds without the implementation of sewage treatment plant-treated water, or rainwater harvesting systems.