Bombay High Court Confronts Maharashtra Government Over Persistent Malnutrition Deaths in Tribal Areas
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday heard shocking revelations about the ongoing tragedy of malnutrition deaths in Maharashtra's tribal regions. Petitioners informed the court that four tribal children, aged between six months and six years, along with a young mother, died on a single day last November. This grim update was presented as part of a public interest litigation (PIL) that has been active for three decades, seeking to address the chronic issue of malnutrition fatalities in the Melghat area.
Court Questions Government's Lack of Action and Compliance
A division bench comprising Justices R V Ghuge and Abhay Mantri sharply questioned the Maharashtra government's apparent slackness in complying with over 100 orders issued through the PIL over the years. The bench expressed frustration at the central government's failure to even file a reply in the hearing, prompting the court to post the matter for orders on Thursday.
The High Court had set a crucial target back in 2006, directing that deaths due to malnutrition in the tribal areas of Melghat and Dharni be brought down to zero within five years. Additional Government Pleader Bhupesh Samant assured the court that the state was actively following up on the matter. He pointed to a government resolution dated March 18, 2026, which outlines plans to convert a 100-bed tribal belt hospital into a 300-bed district hospital and proportionately increase the number of doctors in Dharni, Chikhaldhar, and Churni areas of Amravati district. However, the state conceded that the construction work would require considerable time.
Advocate Highlights Systemic Failures and Budget Cuts
Jugalkishor Gilda, a Nagpur-based advocate and former advocate general of Chhattisgarh, who is representing the petitioners Dr Rajendra Burma and Dr Ravindra Kolhe of Amravati, argued forcefully that the welfare state ideology was failing the very people it is meant to protect. Gilda reminded the court that in 2001, the High Court had directed the construction of an ultra-modern hospital at Dharni. He contended that this order had not been implemented in its true spirit, as government hospitals in the area lack modern facilities, forcing tribals from remote villages to travel up to three hours to Amravati for proper medical care.
In a particularly damning disclosure, Gilda informed the court that the state budget for 2025-26 had actually reduced the tribal welfare budget by 3.4%. He also cited a news report quoting a minister who stated that between 2023 and September 2025, the state witnessed nearly 35,000 deaths of children under the age of five due to malnutrition in tribal areas. Gilda further highlighted that two expert committee reports on the issue remain largely unimplemented, and nearly 70% of doctor posts in the Melghat and Dharni tribal belts are currently vacant.
Affidavit Reveals Inadequate Medical Postings and Callous Attitude
An affidavit submitted by Dr Ravindra Kolhe detailed how, following a High Court order last December, the state had posted gynaecologists and paediatricians who would "visit for a day" and none stayed for even the five working days. This practice, the affidavit argued, completely frustrated the purpose of sending these specialists to treat pregnant women and malnourished children.
The affidavit stated bluntly that the state's "callous attitude itself demonstrates the care being bestowed by the welfare state to curb malnutrition deaths."
State's Response and Preventative Measures Cited
In its latest affidavit filed in February, the state government reported that within the Amravati district, authorities had prevented 109 child marriages between 2018 and 2026, with 17 FIRs lodged. Specifically, in the areas of Dharni and Chikhaldhara within Amravati, 12 child marriages were prevented during the same period.
The ongoing hearing underscores a deep-seated crisis in tribal healthcare and welfare in Maharashtra, with the Bombay High Court demanding urgent accountability and concrete action from the state government to end the preventable tragedy of malnutrition deaths.
