MUMBAI, June 23 -- Coming down heavily on the Maharashtra government over the drinking water crisis in Melghat, the Bombay High Court on Monday said it was shocking that citizens were still being forced to approach courts for access to drinking water more than 75 years after independence. It directed the state to submit an immediately implementable plan to ensure potable water reaches every village resident. A division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata made the observations while hearing a batch of public interest litigations on malnutrition among tribal children and maternal deaths in the tribal belt of Melghat and Dharni. The court took serious note of the deaths of 13 people and the hospitalisation of 86 others after they allegedly consumed contaminated water in Dharni tehsil in 2025. "Even after 75 years of independence, people of India have to approach the court for drinking water? Tell us about the state's scheme for provision of drinking water to the citizens? Keep aside Melghat, citizens of Maharashtra have to approach the court for relief to get drinking water", the bench remarked. The judges said access to drinking water was a basic right and criticised the state for failing to effectively implement schemes despite repeated judicial orders. "Water has to be supplied. We want implementation of the schemes. Orders after orders have been passed by the court," the bench said, adding that people were being forced to move court because authorities were not acting. In April, senior advocate Jugalkishore Gilda, representing some petitioners, informed the court that several tribal villages remained without water for as many as eight days. Calling Maharashtra a "progressive state", the court refused to accept explanations from the state, and questioned how the government planned to ensure potable water reached the "last person" in every village and directed the state to submit a workable scheme by Tuesday....