Bombay HC Continues Monitoring Melghat Crisis: Malnutrition, Water Scarcity Persist After 3 Decades
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Governance
Why in news
The Bombay High Court recently expressed concern over the persistent malnutrition, water scarcity, and poor healthcare in Melghat, Maharashtra, despite over three decades of judicial monitoring. The court chided the state government for inadequate water supply and highlighted the lack of a promised hospital and specialist doctors. This ongoing crisis underscores governance failures in tribal welfare.
Background
Melghat, a tribal region in Amravati district, Maharashtra, has faced chronic malnutrition, child deaths, and lack of safe drinking water since the early 1990s. A batch of PILs filed in 1992-93 by activists led to the Bombay High Court's monitoring. Despite numerous orders, committees, and reports, ground-level improvements remain minimal.
Key facts
Bombay HC has been monitoring Melghat crisis since 1992-93 PILs by activists Dr. Rajendra Burma and Bandu Sampatrao Sane.
In March 2026, a bench led by Justice Ravindra Ghuge criticized the Maharashtra government over malnutrition deaths of children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
In April 2026, the court was informed that 13 people died and 86 were hospitalized due to water contamination in Melghat.
A proposed 300-bed hospital at Dharni, promised years ago, remains unbuilt; Justice Ghuge noted his tenure is ending but the hospital hasn't come up.
Doctors avoid postings in Melghat due to lack of basic facilities like accommodation, despite higher incentives.
In December 2025, HC directed appointment of a gynaecologist and paediatrician in every PHC in Melghat, but compliance is poor.
A pregnant woman died while being shifted from a PHC to Amravati due to lack of specialist treatment locally.
Poor roads, lack of paramedical staff, sonography machines, and language barriers between tribal patients and healthcare workers exacerbate the crisis.
In 2015, HC noted welfare schemes in Melghat suffer due to poor inter-departmental coordination.
The court remarked that water is a basic necessity, not a luxury, and criticized irregular tanker supply of poor quality water.
Prelims pointers
- Melghat: tribal region in Amravati district, Maharashtra
- Bombay High Court: constitutional court with jurisdiction over Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu
- Public Interest Litigation (PIL): mechanism for judicial review of public issues
- Primary Health Centre (PHC): basic healthcare unit in rural areas
- Malnutrition: condition resulting from inadequate diet, often measured by stunting, wasting, underweight
- Water contamination: presence of harmful substances in water, leading to diseases
- Tribal welfare: constitutional mandate under Article 46 (promotion of educational and economic interests of SCs, STs, and OBCs)
- Judicial monitoring: court's oversight of executive implementation of orders
- Amravati district: located in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra
- Dharni: town in Melghat region
Mains angles
- GS2: Role of judiciary in ensuring accountability of executive in welfare schemes; PIL as tool for social justice.
- GS2: Issues of tribal welfare, health infrastructure, and governance in remote areas.
- GS3: Link between malnutrition, water scarcity, and public health; challenges in implementation of government schemes.
- GS4: Ethical dilemmas of bureaucratic apathy and judicial intervention in persistent crises.