As many as 1,141 new Anganwadis will come up in 25 districts across the State by the end of this month. Around 21,115 children who are not enrolled in Anganwadis will be absorbed into them, Muni Reddy, joint director, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), said while speaking at the launch of the United Way ‘Born Learning Campaign’ held here on Saturday.
He stated that more time is wasted in recruitment and the shortage of government buildings for Anganwadis is an added problem. “The children identified for the enrolment are malnourished,” said Reddy.
He added that almost 70 per cent of the upcoming Anganwadi centres are ready to function. Reddy said Rs 92,000 is required to set up an Anganwadi, but the biggest problem is finding rented buildings. M S Tara, regional director, National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, stressed on horticultural intervention to combat the problem of malnutrition.
“The food grown has to be fortified in order to increase the content of micronutrients,” she said. She also said that 26 per cent of babies in the state are low birth weight babies. “Most of them grow up to become malnutritioned children. It is too late to set it right at that stage,” she remarked.
For every 100 adolescent girls in the State, 52 are Anaemic. “Adolescents are worst hit by low birth weight problems. Children who are prone to infections become malnourished because diseases like diarrhoea creates high demand for the nutrients in their bodies,” said Tara.