The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has placed an interim ban on sports events at three prominent cricket venues in India, including Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium. This action comes as a result of the stadiums’ failure to adhere to environmental directives concerning groundwater usage and conservation. The ban was enforced by the Principal Bench of the NGT, led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr. Afroz Ahmad, during a hearing related to specific execution applications.
The NGT highlighted that despite repeated notifications from both the NGT and the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), the stadiums in question did not provide the necessary details regarding groundwater extraction and compliance with environmental standards. The affected stadiums are Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, and Dr. D. Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai. Until the next hearing, these venues are prohibited from hosting any sports activities without prior authorization from the Tribunal as an interim measure.
This case revolves around enforcing environmental protections such as utilizing treated sewage treatment plant (STP) water instead of groundwater for pitch maintenance, implementing rainwater harvesting systems, and following groundwater conservation regulations. With water scarcity becoming a pressing issue in various regions of India, the NGT emphasized the importance of all stadiums complying with environmental laws. Despite numerous notifications from the NGT and the CGWA, the three stadiums remained unresponsive.
Furthermore, the NGT has instructed the Central Ground Water Authority to compile a fresh compliance report based on the feedback received from the concerned stadiums. The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for August 17, 2026. The NGT, established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, functions as a specialized judicial body dedicated to resolving environmental disputes promptly and effectively, focusing on environmental protection, forest conservation, pollution, and natural resources.
