Mumbai

The Bombay High Court on Monday underscored that access to clean and potable water is a fundamental right and expressed concern over the continuing water scarcity affecting several parts of Maharashtra, particularly the tribal Melghat region.

A division bench comprising Justice A S Gadkari and Justice Kamal Khata was hearing a batch of petitions concerning deaths of infants, pregnant women and lactating mothers linked to malnutrition in Melghat.

During the proceedings, the court was informed that the region had been facing acute shortages of safe drinking water amid extreme summer temperatures. In an earlier hearing held in April, the court had been told that 13 people had died after consuming contaminated water.

The Maharashtra government informed the bench that potable water was being supplied through tankers. However, petitioners argued that the supply remained irregular and inadequate.

Reacting to the submission, the court observed that providing water tankers was not a favour extended by the state but a constitutional obligation.

“Access to clean and potable water is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution, and the government has a duty to provide the same to all its citizens,” the bench said.

The judges further noted that water scarcity was not limited to Melghat alone and had become a broader concern across Maharashtra.

The court directed the state government to submit details on the measures being undertaken to address the crisis and specify a timeline for resolving the issue. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on Tuesday.

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The observations come amid growing concerns over water availability and public health challenges in drought-prone and tribal regions of the state, where access to safe drinking water remains a recurring issue.