After successful implementation in two blocks of Lohardaga district, the State Social Welfare Directorate is all set to implement the nutri garden project across Jharkhand. Director, Manoj Kumar said, “The steering committee has already approved the implementation of the project across State, a notification for the same will be issued within a week.”
It was started as a pilot project in two blocks of Lohardaga district, Sadar and Senha. It aims to encourage families to cultivate plants of nutritional value commonly available in the State in their backyards.
The project has been implemented in 30 anganwadi centres in each of the two blocks where the Anganwadi workers provide seeds and training to the villagers. The directorate has tied up with Krishi Vigyan Kendra to provide training to anganwadi workers and village vatika resource group volunteers for identification and plantation of the indigenous plants.
Kumar said, "When the villagers grow nutritional food in their backyard and consume them, it will help in reducing the malnutrition level in the State and help create a healthier Jharkhand.”
The data of national Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4) showed that in the year 2015-16 around 47.8 per cent children in Jharkhand were underweight. Also, 45.3 per cent children were stunted.
The data also revealed that 65.2 percent women between age 15 to 49 in the State are aneamic along with 29.9 per cent men of the same age group.
“There are a number of indigenous vegetables and leaves commonly available across the State, which if consumed regularly can help fight a number of deficiencies and curb malnutrition. We are focusing on identifying such plants available in and around village and promote villagers to plant them in their backyard and include it in their food habits,” Kumar said.
Some of the commonly available plants include chakod, saru, gandhari saag, madua (millets), lotni, hirmichiya, chiniya, phutkal and others which have high nutritional value and include contents like vitamin C, calcium, iron, folic acid, zinc and dietary fibres.
Officials from the directorate informed that the people who are growing plants in their backyard are not just using them for their own consumption but are also distributing the produce among their neighbours if the production is surplus.
One of the beneficiaries from Lohardaga Sadar block, Sushila Devi, a mother of three, said, “Earlier we would usually just eat rice and salt but now that we are growing vegetables in our backyard, we have more variety on our plate, better tasting food and it seems to be healthier for my children too.”