Overview
- The division bench of Justices Ajey S. Gadkari and Kamal R. Khata told the state its written reports do not match ground reality and said access to clean water is a constitutional right.
- The court demanded a concrete, time‑bound scheme and insisted officials show evidence that tankers actually delivered water to beneficiaries rather than only assignment records.
- Judges told authorities to ensure an immediate minimum supply of about 20 litres per person and to consider house‑to‑house delivery where tankers and village wells fail to reach people.
- Petitioners and villagers told the court several Melghat villages went without water for up to eight days and linked erratic or contaminated supplies to malnutrition, illness and prior deaths reported in the region.
- The matter was listed for a further hearing later this week and the bench signalled it will judge compliance by verifiable on‑the‑ground proof rather than paperwork, highlighting decades of stalled remedies in tribal areas.