MUMBAI, June 24 -- A day after pulling up the Maharashtra government over the drinking water crisis in Melghat, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday demanded proof that water tankers dispatched to the tribal region were reaching residents, questioning why villagers continued to report severe shortages despite official records showing regular supply. The high court's observations came after petitioners claimed several villages had gone without water for as many as eight days despite the state government's assurances of regular supply. "Show evidence that they've received the water. We have taken this matter up only because the petitioners are saying water is not received, that too for eight days. Why are such grievances raised that around 20-30 villages are not receiving drinking water," the court asked. A bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata was hearing Public Interest Litigations (PIL) concerning malnutrition and maternal deaths in tribal areas, particularly Melghat and Dharni in Amravati district. State officials informed the bench that water was being supplied to around 40 villages through tankers and that authorities were monitoring the situation daily. "We are providing water where it's not available. There was no water supply in some villages earlier but we are providing two tankers everyday," the state's counsel submitted, adding that it provides about 20 litres of water per person per day. The bench questioned the discrepancy between these claims and the complaints raised before the court. "If the government is saying they're providing two tankers, why are the petitioners saying there is scarcity of drinking water in the villages? That means your statements are false," it remarked. The state said the reduced supply was due to the continuing scarcity and acknowledged that only 20 litres of water per person were being provided, against the 55 litres stated under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The court said the documents only showed that tankers had been assigned and did not prove that water had reached beneficiaries. "On paper you say water has been provided. However, in reality, they haven't received it. How do we accept your statements? You have to show us some method to prove that you've given water to the villagers," the bench observed. Directing the administration to ensure immediate supply, the court said it would review the progress at the next hearing on Thursday....