The Allahabad High Court today asked Uttar Pradesh government to file its reply on a petition opposing IPL cricket matches at Kanpur, scheduled next week, on the ground that the state is facing a drought-like situation and holding the events will put pressure on the already scanty water reserves.
A division bench, comprising Justice V K Shukla and Justice U C Srivastava, passed the order on the petition of Kanpur Jan Kalyan Sangh and fixed May 16 as the next date of hearing in the matter.
The Green Park Stadium at Kanpur is scheduled to hold two IPL matches on May 19 and May 21.
A preliminary objection was raised by the state government's counsel who argued that contrary to the contention made in the petition, preparing the ground at the stadium will require a tiny fraction of the 420 MLD of water supplied to Kanpur.
A similar petition, citing severe drought in Latur district of Maharashtra, was filed last month in the Bombay High Court which ordered that all IPL matches scheduled after April 30 be shifted out of the state.
The Maharashtra Cricket Association has challenged the order before the Supreme Court.
