Save power, hold IPL during day, NGO urges apex court

NEW DELHI - In a bid to avoid power wastage, a Howrah-based civil society group has moved the Supreme Court for rescheduling the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, beginning March 12, during the day instead of night time.

In its lawsuit filed in the apex court treasury Tuesday, Howrah Ganatantri Nagrik Samity and its general secretary Subhas Datt contended that holding the matches during the daytime would not only save power but also bring down the resultant global warming due to power wastage.

Pointing out that the IPL matches to be held till April 25, are to generally start at 3 p.m. or later, the Samity said it implies that major part of the game is to played at night with the help of floodlights. This is likely to lead to rampant power outage in various cities and the neighbouring rural areas where the matches are to be held, he added.

Maintaining that “the game of small ball can be better played in daylight”, the lawsuit said that rescheduling the matches would reduce the hardships of avoidable power cuts to students, patients, industry, farmers and the common people.

Pointing out the huge gap of 11 percent between the power generation and its consumption in India, the petitioner said the gap is further increased to the tune of 12 percent during peak hours.

Additionally, 64 percent of the total power in India is generated from thermal power projects, using coal, gas and diesel, with each unit of generated power using 700 gram of coal and other fossil fuel and emitting 1.25 kilogram to 1.50 kilogram of carbon dioxide in the environment, the petitioner contended.

He said even otherwise the government of India has committed to the international community to reduce its carbon emission level by 20 to 25 percent and holding matches during the night hours under floodlights, generated by burning fossil foil, is against the government’s pledge to the international community.

The apex court registry is yet to schedule the matter for hearing.