India’s top environmental court is concerned about excessive groundwater use at cricket stadiums. Even though cities often have ways to treat wastewater, many stadiums still depend on underground water. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) says this is risky for the environment because groundwater is becoming more limited nationwide, and it believes that major sports venues should serve as models for water stewardship. They said it’s not right to take groundwater for fields when there are other water options nearby.

Stadiums’ Water Use Under Scrutiny

A two-member judge bench consisting of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr. A Senthil Vel from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) was hearing this case. The Stadium Authorities were referred back to the National Green Tribunal to submit a detailed explanation of their water consumption patterns and actions taken to shift to alternative water sources.

These submissions are being made because the National Green Tribunal is of the view that earlier directions must be complied with, as NGT is aware that even after issuing multiple warnings, there has not been adequate change in water use behaviours at many important cricket venues.

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Report Shows Groundwater Reliance

The NGT’s concerns come from a report by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), which showed that many stadiums still rely on groundwater, even when treated sewage water is available. In some cases, they weren’t using treated wastewater at all.

The NGT mentioned the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, which reportedly takes about 6,000 kilolitres of groundwater each month for watering the field and doesn’t have a sewage treatment plant. The NGT rejected claims that treated water wasn’t available and stated that the stadium could obtain treated water from nearby sources, but it would have to pay for it.

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Fines, Orders, and Future Steps

The NGT has told stadium authorities in Nagpur, Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Lahli, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati to respond within six weeks. They need to provide details on what they’re doing to use less groundwater, and some venues have begun collecting rainwater or using treated water, but many still rely on groundwater.

Additionally, 12 cricket associations have been fined Rs 5,000 each for failing to submit reports, and these were for stadiums in Delhi, Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Indore, Dharamsala, Rajkot, Raipur, Cuttack, and Mumbai. The next meeting is on April 16, 2026, and the NGT wants to end the excessive groundwater use at cricket stadiums.

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