29K kids getting supplementary nutrition through Anganwadis
The state government is taking significant steps to strengthen the infrastructure of Anganwadi centres and expand child development services to curb child malnutrition in Chamba, District Programme Officer Rakesh Kumar said on Saturday.
A healthy and well-nourished childhood laid a strong foundation for the future of young children, and Anganwadi centres played a crucial role in ensuring the physical, mental and emotional development of children, Kumar added.
He said under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, a total of 29,931 children, of up to 6 years, were receiving supplementary nutrition through the 1,495 Anganwadi centres in the district.
Additionally, 7,538 pregnant and lactating women and 17,155 adolescent girls (aged 14-18 years) were being provided special nutrition as part of the programme. The District Programme Officer said 100 Anganwadi centres in the district had been upgraded to ‘Saksham Anganwadi Centres’ to support the overall development of children.
Of these, 21 centres come under the Chamba Child Development Project, 20 under Salooni, 20 under Mehla, 14 under Tissa and 25 under Bhattiyat.
All necessary infrastructure improvements had been completed in these centres. All Saksham Anganwadi centres were equipped with RO water purifiers for clean drinking water, he added.
Additionally, 90 of these centres had established nutrition gardens, and rainwater harvesting systems had been set up in 65 centres, he said.
As part of the supplementary nutrition programme, children were being provided with a variety of nutritious food items, including kidney beans and rice, sweet and savory porridge, khichdi, black chickpeas, sweet vermicelli, millet and oat biscuits, he added, stating that 4,209 children under Chamba, 5,279 under Salooni, 4,852 under Mehla, 6,533 under Tissa, 5,317 under Bhattiyat, 1,960 under Bharmour and 779 under Pangi block were getting supplementary nutrition under the programme.
