RAIPUR: When a district gets new Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), an increase in enrolment and attendance of children is expected. However, in Ambikapur, northern Chhattisgarh, approximately 300 km from Raipur, the situation paints a far less encouraging picture at several pre-school learning facilities.
Over the past three years, as many as 70 new Anganwadi Centres have been established in Ambikapur. Ironically, the region has witnessed a drop in attendance of more than 14,000 children, highlighting a concerning trend.
The absenteeism appears to stem from parents’ concerns over dilapidated infrastructure and poorly sheltered facilities at many AWCs.
Described as “unsafe”, several centres have deterred parents from sending their children. According to staff from the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department in Ambikapur, who are not authorised to speak to the media, there has been a reported decline in attendance of 14,157 children.
Local residents have claimed that hundreds of centres suffer from leaking roofs and crumbling wall plaster, creating hazardous conditions for young children. As a result, parents are understandably reluctant to send their wards.
AWCs primarily serve children aged 0–6 years, playing a critical role in early childhood education and healthcare. Yet many continue to operate in visibly poor conditions, reportedly due to negligence by the WCD Department. Despite repeated complaints from local residents and Anganwadi workers, authorities have allegedly failed to take timely action to repair or upgrade the facilities.
Some parents have also raised concerns about the substandard quality of construction and repairs carried out at the centres.
This situation in Ambikapur comes at a time when the Central Government has introduced guidelines for the co-location of Anganwadi Centres with primary schools, an initiative meant to enhance infrastructure and access.
However, the local WCD office appears to lack basic information about the current state of AWC infrastructure in the district.
Repeated attempts to contact Ambikapur Collector Vilas Bhoskar for comment proved unsuccessful, as he neither responded to queries nor made himself available for an explanation.
According to local media reports, in some areas, AWCs have been forced to operate out of temporary structures like Durga pandals. In one case in Lakhanpur block, a centre was seen functioning from a festive pandal with hardly any children present. Ironically, the attendance register at the site indicated full attendance, raising questions about the accuracy of records.