Raipur stadium permitted to host women's cricket matches under environmental conditions

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has modified a previous ban to allow the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur to host three international women’s cricket matches on October 16, 18, and 20.

The decision comes with strict environmental safeguards regarding the stadium's use of groundwater for field maintenance. The tribunal ordered the stadium to deposit Rs 20 lakh with the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB), which will be used to develop a groundwater recharge scheme for the area.

The NGT's intervention follows concerns that the stadium was using 828 KLD of groundwater despite having a sewage treatment plant (STP) with a 150 KLD capacity. The Central Ground Water Authority reported that the facility had not sufficiently transitioned to using treated sewage water. The tribunal emphasized the need for rational groundwater utilization and the promotion of rainwater harvesting and treated water use.