‘Human life and cattle must not go thirsty’: Bombay High Court tells state over Melghat water crisis amid 48°C heat concern
The Bombay High Court expressed concern that every village in Melghat be supplied with water during summer, noting that temperatures in Vidarbha are expected to soar to 48°C in May and June.
The Bombay High Court said it had been informed that people and cattle in the tribal Melghat area of Maharashtra's Amravati district were going thirsty. (Image generated using AI)
The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked state government authorities to ensure that “human life and cattle” in 300 villages in the tribal Melghat area of Amravati district in the Vidarbha region do not go “thirsty” amid soaring summer temperatures and that adequate water supply is provided.
This came after the court observed a “contrast situation” before it, with petitioners claiming villages were severely affected due to a shortage of water amid soaring temperatures during the summer season in the area, while the state government claimed there was sufficient water and that water tankers were not required.
The high court said that it was concerned that “each village in Melghat region be supplied with water during the challenging summer” after it was informed that “the temperatures would be further soaring to 48 degrees Celsius in the month of May and June in the Vidarbha region.”
A division bench of Justices Ravindra V Ghuge and Hiten S Venegavkar was hearing Public Interest Litigations on malnutrition deaths among children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers in the tribal area.
Earlier, on April 29, noting that the Vidarbha region would remain “virtually on fire” until the onset of the rainy season, the high court had sought daily potable water tanker supply to villages in the tribal Melghat region.
On Thursday, senior advocate Jugal Kishore Gilda, for the petitioners, along with Dr Ashish Satav of the NGO Mahan Trust working in the Melghat region, informed the court that he had given the government lawyer a list of 33 severely affected villages in the tribal area with a “drought-like” situation.
However, Additional Government Pleader (AGP) Bhupesh V Samant, for the state, on instructions from officials and along with photographs, said that in some of the villages, including Dabhiya, Chikhaldara, and Sawrya, the water is flowing through hand pumps. He said that the authorities had been taking measures to provide water to nine villages other than the list of 33 that were affected.
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“We have a contrast situation before us. Gilda, along with Satav, who has devoted his life in the tribal area, informs us that human life and cattle are going thirsty,” the bench noted. It added that, on the other hand, AGP Samant, on specific instructions of four officers present in the court hall, informed the court, “In some areas water flows through the taps and in some areas there are tankers kept in readiness at the beck and call and one indication of need of water will be responded to by a tanker supplying water in that village”.
Samant added that such tankers are paid for by the district water supply department, and no tribal person is required to pay for such water, as Gram Sevaks and block development officers (BDOs) are required to monitor the distribution.
“We hope that no human life and cattle will go thirsty in all these 33 villages, as well as the other villages which may not have been enlisted, which are said to be around 300 in the Melghat region,” the high court noted and posted the further hearing “to deal with scarcity of water” in the region on June 22.
Omkar Gokhale is a journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates exceptionally strong Expertise and Authority in legal and judicial reporting, making him a highly Trustworthy source for developments concerning the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in relation to Maharashtra and its key institutions.
Expertise & Authority
Affiliation: Reports for The Indian Express, a national newspaper known for its rigorous journalistic standards, lending significant Trustworthiness to his legal coverage.
Core Authority & Specialization: Omkar Gokhale's work is almost exclusively dedicated to the complex field of legal affairs and jurisprudence, specializing in:
Bombay High Court Coverage: He provides detailed, real-time reports on the orders, observations, and decisions of the Bombay High Court's principal and regional benches. Key subjects include:
Fundamental Rights & Environment: Cases on air pollution, the right to life of residents affected by dumping sites, and judicial intervention on critical infrastructure (e.g., Ghodbunder Road potholes).
Civil & Criminal Law: Reporting on significant bail orders (e.g., Elgaar Parishad case), compensation for rail-related deaths, and disputes involving high-profile individuals (e.g., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty).
Constitutional and Supreme Court Matters: Reports and analysis on key legal principles and Supreme Court warnings concerning Maharashtra, such as those related to local body elections, reservations, and the creamy layer verdict.
Governance and Institution Oversight: Covers court rulings impacting public bodies like the BMC (regularisation of illegal structures) and the State Election Commission (postponement of polls), showcasing a focus on judicial accountability.
Legal Interpretation: Reports on public speeches and observations by prominent judicial figures (e.g., former Chief Justice B. R. Gavai) on topics like free speech, gender equality, and institutional challenges.
Omkar Gokhale's consistent, focused reporting on the judiciary establishes him as a definitive and authoritative voice for legal developments originating from Mumbai and impacting the entire state of Maharashtra. ... Read More
