In the backdrop of the Ordinance on Food Security, experts at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research said that though it could provide food to the needy, it is not a guarantee to nutritional security.
A doctor from the PGI’s School of Public health said that most of the food items included to be distributed among the weaker section of the society through the public distribution system is high on carbohydrate which does not guarantees nutrition.It is high time that people at the helm of affairs think seriously about nutrition rather than just rolling out populist scheme.
According to Government data an estimated 58 percent girls and 26 percent boys in the age group 10-19 years in Haryana are anemic according to the third National Family Health Survey.Hb testing conducted in more than eighteen lakh school and college going students in twenty-one districts under the Indira Bal Swasthya Yojana, indicate that approximately 71percent are iron deficient and suffering from mild, moderate or severe anemia. Even Punjab is not far behind.
The condition of children living in urban slums and outskirts of the city are far worse than rural areas.According to a health survey more than 80 percent children living in urban slums suffer from one or more than one ailment related to mal-nutrition. However many of these children suffer from Kwashiorkor and Marasmus.Kwashiorkor is common because children have access to food rich in carbohydrate but they are deprived of protein says expert. But the current food security bill aims at eradicating malnutrition which has failed to address this issue as the food items included in the bill are those which will be rich in carbohydrate.
Mid-Day meal scheme which was introduced with the aim of curbing child malnutrition and give adequate care to pregnant women to bear a healthy child under the Janani Suraksha Scheme have also fallen apart.Sabeena Biwi, a resident of Hallo Majra Village said, “The food given in the aganwadi centre here at Hallomajra is worst than cattle feed. Earlier there was a Government officer who kept a check on the food but now his visits are less frequent. Most of the days they serve ‘Kadi Chawal’ where the curry is yellow water.”
This clearly indicates the laxity of the Government towards the scheme. Recently a child was taken ill after lizard fell in the food. The matter was hushed up as the child carried the food all the way to his house and the government authorities failed to ascertain if the lizard was present in the food before or after. Many anganwadi centers even lack clean drinking water facility. So the kids are more prone to water borne diseases. According to PGI data more than 300 patients visit per month to the pediatrics department due to water borne diseases and most of this infant are from areas like Manimajra, Hallomajra and other adjoining villages.
A study conducted by experts from PGI suggests that prevalence of underweight among under-five children remained almost stagnant in the last one decade from 51.6percent to 50.4 percent. There was insignificant difference in prevalence of underweight among children registered under ICDS program 52.1 percent and those not registered 48.4 percent.Other health and service provision indicators had mixed results in the past decade. Health services utilization was poorest in urban slums. The study was conducted in 2007 but not much has changed since then.