An unequal platter

An unequal platter

Article:

1. Soumitra Ghosh, Tata Institute of Social Science, discusses how Maharashtra is a classic case of a lack of development with high level of malnutrition among children.

Important Analysis:

1. Maharashtra being India’s richest state, is suffering from high level of malnutrition among children in the tribal belts.
2. Despite states per capita income has doubled since 2004, its nutritional status has not made commensurate progress.
3. The National Family Health Survey(NFHS) 2015-16 and 2005-06, highlighted the following pointers:
4. Though stunting has declined from 46.3% to 34.4%, wasting rates have increased from 16.5% to 25.6%.
5. Underweight rate (36%), has remained static in the last decade.
6. This is worse than in some of the poor countries like Bangladesh(33%), Afghanistan (25%) , or Mozambique(15%).
7. Every second tribal child suffers from growth restricting malnutrition due to chronic danger.
8. In 2005, child malnutrition claimed 718 lives in Maharashtra’s Palghar District.
9. Even after a decade of double digit economic growth (2004-05 to 2014-15), Palghar’s malnutrition status has barely improved.
10. In September 2016, the National Human Rights Commission issued notice to Maharashtra government over reports of 600 children dying due to malnutrition in Palghar.
11. On this, the State government promised to implement schemes like Jaccha Baccha and Integrated Child Development Services to check malnutrition.
12. Even independent survey conducted in Vikramgad block of the district found that 57%, 21%, and 53% of children were stunted, wasted, and underweight respectively.
13. It is generally believed that recovery from growth retardation is only possible if the affected child put on nutrient requirement diet.
14. Nutrient adequacy is calculated by difference grouping of food which includes:- cereals, roots and tubers; legumes and nuts; dairy products; flesh foods; eggs; fish; dark green leafy vegetables; and other fruits and vegetables
15. 26% and 57% of the children (83% put together) had food from only two/three of the eight food groups.
16. While, only 17% of the children achieved a minimum level of diet diversity — they received four or more of the eight food groups.

17. Reasons for food insecurity in Maharashtra:

• Acute food insecurity in tribal households is due to loss of their traditional dependence on forest livelihood.
• State’s deepening agrarian crisis.
• Weakening of public nutrition programmes.
• State’s Budget on nutrition expenditure has drastically decline from 1.68% in 2012-13 to 0.94% in 2018-19.
• Nutritional schemes not having desired results.

18. Solutions:

• The government need to look at the root cause of the issue and finds sustainable solutions for tackling malnutrition.
• State need to focus on inclusive development by creating employment opportunities for the marginalized.