Odisha needs to close nutrition gap for tribals

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Odisha needs to close nutrition gap for tribals

Monday, 17 February 2020 | MUKESH KUMAR PAL

At a time when Odisha is being hailed as a champion of nutrition, there is a constant pressure on the State to perform better and to be counted among the top States which have nutrition on top of their agendas.

The political leadership is beginning to understand that there are many vulnerable groups in Odisha which need special attention. These include the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) who live in remote locations. Being a member of the Legislative Assembly from Pallahara in Angul district, I understand the challenges that are faced by these communities. The biggest challenge is topography of the area, which makes access to an Anganwadi Centre difficult. In addition to this, there is also lack of awareness.

Statistics also prove the need for special focus on the tribal communities. As compared to the rest of the children in Odisha, 46 percent of children from tribal communities under five years of age are stunted and half of them are underweight. Thus they require more attention and there is a need for specific interventions to ensure we close the gap on the nutritional needs of all the children and women in Odisha.

There are many notable interventions which are happening at a small scale, with a special focus on the tribal communities that can be replicated across the State.

One such example exists in Angul district. A community-led movement by the name of Angul Pusti Adhikar Abhiyan (APAA) has created a model which can be scaled up not just by the State of Odisha but by many other States too.

The APAA, community members, Anganwadi workers, Child Development Project Officer (CDPOs), District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO), District Collector (DC) and elected representatives like MPs and MLAs have come together to create this replicable and sustainable model to ensure nutrition is the top priority in the district of Angul.

Communities, which have been made aware of their rights due to the APAA’s interventions, have managed to inspire frontline workers like Anganwadi Workers to perform their duties well. The movement has worked on the monitoring of schemes too. All the members have come together to activate existing Government monitoring committees like Jaanch and Matru committees which monitor Government schemes like Integrated Child Development Services.

Another APAA initiative to inspire local leaders like Sarpanch to take the lead to declare their villages ‘Malnutrition-free’ has resulted in applications being filed by Sarpanch to establish mini AWCs in far-flung areas, especially tribal-dominated ones like Pallahara.

Self-help groups have also contributed their bit in this Jan Andolan or people-led movement by cooking hot cooked meals for children who were not able to access an AWC at the village level. More than 1,300 children between the ages of 3-6 years have benefitted because of this in four blocks of Angul district.

Thus, an effort from the State Government’s side to leverage these local examples will not only benefit the tribal community but also establish Odisha as a leader in matters of nutrition in the country.

(The writer is MLA, Pallahara)

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