India, June 23 -- Access to clean and potable water is a fundamental right, the Bombay High Court on Monday said while expressing concern over water scarcity in the State, and sought to know from the Government when the issue would be resolved.

A bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata was hearing a bunch of petitions over the issue of deaths of infants, pregnant and lactating mothers due to malnutrition in the tribal Melghat area of Amravati district in the Vidarbha region.

The court was informed that amid soaring summer temperatures, the area was severely affected due to a shortage of clean and potable water. In the last hearing in April, the court was informed that 13 persons had died in the area due to the consumption of contam...