High Court Seeks Clear Stand from Maharashtra Govt on Water Tankers Amid Vidarbha Crisis

The Bombay High Court has asked the state government to clarify its plan on supplying water tankers to drought-hit Melghat and nearby villages facing severe shortages amid extreme heat.

Mumbai | 30 April 2026: The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to clearly outline its stance on providing drinking water through tankers to severely affected regions in Vidarbha, particularly Melghat.

Hearing the matter on Wednesday, a bench of Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Hiten WeneGavkar raised serious concerns over the worsening water crisis in the region, where temperatures have already reached 45 to 46 degrees Celsius and are expected to rise further in May.

The court questioned whether the government would immediately arrange at least one large water tanker per village to address the acute shortage. It also directed the state to present a concrete response in the next hearing.

Expressing concern over ground realities, the bench made a sharp observation, asking whether senior officials could endure an entire day without drinking water in air-conditioned courtrooms. The judges pointed out that tribal residents in regions like Melghat are forced to survive in extreme heat without adequate access to water, often walking long distances to meet basic needs.

The court also instructed petitioners to submit a list of affected villages and asked the government to provide details on tanker supply arrangements. It noted that multiple tankers may be required daily and emphasised that uninterrupted water supply should continue until the onset of the monsoon.Several areas, including Chikhaldara, Dharani, and surrounding villages, are already facing severe water scarcity. Despite infrastructure efforts, such as the construction of a water tank costing ₹83 lakh in Chikhaldara, the drinking water problem persists, according to submissions made before the court.

The High Court has also directed the government to prepare a structured action plan to ensure consistent water supply to these drought-hit regions, underlining the urgency of intervention as the heatwave intensifies.

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