India, July 1 -- Questioning the state's progress in ensuring safe drinking water in Melghat and Dharni, the Bombay high court on Tuesday sought a status report on the Jal Jeevan Mission, including details of expenditure and implementation.

"Melghat residents are not seeking a luxurious life but only access to safe drinking water," said the division bench of Justice A S Gadkari and Justice Kamal Khata while hearing petitions related to malnutrition and maternal deaths in tribal areas.

The bench also took serious note of last year's incident in Dharni, where 13 people died and 86 others were hospitalised after allegedly consuming contaminated water.

The state informed the court that water tankers have been deployed in 20 villages and wo...