The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government and petitioners to collaboratively prepare a comprehensive report on child malnutrition in the state’s tribal regions.
This move follows petitions that have been pending for over 20 years, focusing on persistent malnutrition in areas such as Melghat and Nandurbar district.
Key Focus Areas For Report
A bench consisting of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne specified that the report must address three critical points:
Identification of villages where malnutrition remains a serious concern.
Measures the state has implemented following previous court orders.
Suggestions for a permanent mechanism to effectively tackle the issue.
Progress & Continuing Challenges
The court acknowledged some progress, with Advocate Uday Warunjikar, representing one of the petitioners, agreeing that improvements have occurred. However, Warunjikar emphasized that several villages still face severe malnutrition despite state interventions over the years.
Court’s Concerns & Need For Updated Data
The bench underscored the state’s duty to act but stressed that the court cannot indefinitely oversee such matters. Chief Justice Aradhe questioned, “How many children have died? We don’t have the latest data?” highlighting the urgency of updated statistics.
Previous Court Directives & State Response
In a 2023 hearing, the court had directed officials to identify eight to ten villages in Melghat to implement a targeted action plan against malnutrition. The success of this plan was to be used as a model for other tribal regions. The state submitted data at that time, detailing the number of malnourished children and steps undertaken.
The High Court has reiterated the necessity of current, accurate data to facilitate effective decision-making and to take definitive action on this longstanding public health concern in Maharashtra’s tribal communities.
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