Maharashtra government on Thursday informed the Bombay high court that a total of 1590 children aged under six have died in five tribal-dominated districts of the state due to various reasons, including malnutrition, between April to July.
Presenting the figures in the court, the state government said that last year the death of children in the five districts of Thane, Nandurbar, Nasik, Amravati and Gadchiroli was 1837 during the same time.
The figure of child deaths also include 1085 infant deaths (less than one year) during the time this year compare to 1189 last year, the state said.
After hearing the state government's response, the court asked the government to submit the plan of action along with concrete developments for tackling the problem.
The bench led by Chief Justice Dalveer Bhandari also observed that the problem was an enormous one.
The state government should also set a target for implementation of the action plan within a time schedule, the court added.
It also asked the government to furnish details of all possible steps, including the number of activists involved in the plan and the actual required strength for the purpose.
The court also said there was a lack of coordination between the state health department and child and family welfare department in tackling the malnutrition problem.
Based on the state government's response, the high court will give specific directions on tackling the crisis.