Everybody loves IPL, can't the thrill quench Maharashtra's thirst?

After 24 hours of the "will they, will they not" debate, the verdict is out: The opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will go on as planned at Wankhede Stadium on April 9. The fate of the other matches in Maharashtra, however, continues to be ambiguous until the next hearing at the Bombay High Court next week.

The news certainly warmed the hearts of fans and cricket associations, especially considering the Indian Premier League is a cash-rich annual event. But what does it mean for the rest of Maharashtra? It certainly hasn't come as a breather for those scores of people who are fighting parched fields and bone dry riverbeds and wells. Can a drought-hit Maharashtra afford to waste a few lakh litres of water — even if it is non-potable as claimed by the BCCI — to water cricket grounds? The issue draws attention to a bigger question — the wide chasm between the haves and the have-nots.

Also read: Why don't farmer suicides affect India any more?

At a time when millions struggle to get a bucket of water, there are the millions who will enjoy the entertainment sitting in high-on-energy stadiums. Justice Kanade succinctly summed it up in court today: “People who have money can afford to have as much water as they can whereas in other places people are getting water once in three days…this is an anomaly.”  

The anomaly and inequitable distribution of an important natural resource such as water is shocking and disappointing, especially if one takes a closer look at places that lie a few hundred kilometres from the country’s financial capital. Even as city children are enjoying a summer break and taking off on holidays with their families, there are more than 70,000 students from lesser privileged homes from across the state who are denied this basic right to go to school. They have dropped out because of forced distress migration owing to an acute water shortage in the villages. Thousands of families have migrated from drought-hit areas to live on city streets in Mumbai and Pune, where water is still available.

It’s not uncommon to see families roaming the roads in Mumbai, looking for little more than water and food. The issue came up in the Maharashtra state Assembly on April 7, when education minister Vinod Tawde stated that measures would be taken to bring these drop-outs back into the fold.

Also read: Maharashtra must wake up, Kill bans and save farmers

Despite efforts, it’s no secret that getting these children back into school will be a task. As history shows, many of them will continue to live in settlements in urban areas and take up petty jobs. The most striking and shocking consequence of the drought is the shutdown of hospitals and medical centres in Latur, at a time when medical aid will definitely be needed. Hospitals have reportedly stopped performing surgeries because of an acute shortage of water. Taps are running dry and water often trickles in once in every few days. The repercussions are being felt in every area of life in rural Maharashtra.

The government even plans to consider shifting inmates out of prisons in Beed and Latur where the drought is acute and people wait for hours to get just a bucket-full of water. The jail in Latur has reportedly been getting municipal water supply only once in a month, depending on expensive tanker water on other days.  In a move that can shock any conscientious citizen, the state, in an unprecedented crackdown has imposed Section 144 of CrPC in various parts, particularly, in areas that are worst affected by the drought.

The rule prohibits people from assembling in large numbers and the reason for this section to be imposed is to avoid a law and order situation that could arise over water. On the other hand, the state surprisingly is allowing the IPL matches to go on in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, probably in the hope that it will bring large sums in terms of revenue.   

Also read: Who will cry for India's farmers

Besides bringing huge losses to the state’s agricultural sector, the drought has affected industries as well. In the key food grain belt of Marathwada, mills processing pulses and sugarcane have been forced to shut with no water to run operations. As a result, workers, who are already reeling under a severe water crisis, are rendered jobless. In some areas, local politicians and activists have set up cattle camps that provide fodder and water to the animals. Unable to get even basic water for their daily needs, farmer families are moving to cattle camps along with their herds in search of water, living without basic hygiene facilities. 

With the monsoon almost two months away, Maharashtra has an unrelenting summer to face. At such a time, even non-potable water can help save farmlands and animals. So, then, how sensible is it to use this water on cricket grounds? Two days ago IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla dismissed the demand to shift the matches out of Maharashtra saying that “all of us will think of a way of helping the farmers.”

Also read: Can PM Narendra Modi end farmer suicides?

The government has time until next week to spell out the measures it will take to help citizens tide over this water crisis. If the star-studded multi-crore cricketing extravaganza must go on, organisers and cricket associations can probably wipe off their guilt by directing highly priced water tankers to the lesser privileged folks and their parched animals. Or as a young lawyer anonymously commented while in court today, the government can use some of the revenue it earns on IPL to build better water conservation and irrigation facilities for its people. So, that Maharashtra doesn't need to struggle and suffer to quench its thirst again.