VIJAYAWADA: In a first-of-its-kind in the State, 126 Anganwadi centres of Krishna district are going to be equipped with Nutri-gardens, where all the required vegetables and fruits would be grown. All these harvested vegetables and fruits would be used to prepare meals and serve the children and their mothers.
Gone are the days to imagine Anganwadi centres as small congested shacks where kids are left to a single caretaker and provided with some bland meal. As part of the State government’s initiative, the Anna Amrutha Hastham scheme is also being implemented where pregnant women and lactating mothers are provided nutritious meal. With the implementation all these programmes, the centres are becoming more congested.
Keeping this in mind, the State government is contemplating to change the Anganwadi centres into corporate play schools, where even the kids would be seen wearing uniform and the Anganwadi centres would be equipped with colourful interiors.
Adding to the colourful interiors, the Anganwadi centres would also be equipped with Nutri-gardens, where vegetables of all kinds, right from greens to tubers, would be grown.
Through the Nutri-garden initiative is an age old practice in Anganwadi centres which failed for several reasons, it is now going to make a comeback in the centres across the district. As part of the pilot project of the State government, Krishna district has been selected for raising Nutri-gardens.
A total 126 Anganwadi centres in the district have been identified for the project.
Realising its role in combating malnutrition among the children and pregnant women, the district administration has taken up the initiative. The fresh vegetables and fruits grown in these gardens would be used to feed both children and women under the Anna Amrutha Hastham scheme.