KALABURAGI: Over 10 per cent of children below six years of age enrolled in Anganwadi centres spread across the state are found to be malnourished. In the backdrop of the threat of a possible third wave, the State Government had conducted a survey in May to find out how many children were suffering from malnutrition and steps that needed to be taken to protect them from the pandemic.
The survey found that 10.50 per cent of the surveyed 40,53,022 children are moderately malnourished and 0.19 per cent of children are severely malnourished. However, 89.32 per cent of the children are normal. Of 4,25,369 moderately malnourished children, 1,92,377 (nearly 45 per cent) are from Kalyana Karnataka region, comprising Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal and Ballari districts. Also, 3,356 or 51 per cent of 7,627 severely underweight children are from these parts of the State.
Belagavi district had the highest number of malnourished children -- 57,444 moderately malnourished and 658 severely malnourished. It is followed by Ballari, Raichur, Koppal, Vijayapura and Yadgir districts. Kodagu district has the least number of moderately underweight children at 3,356 and severely underweight children at 37.