VIJAYAWADA: As many as 2,000 more Nutri-Gardens are going to set up across the State in addition to those in 1,476 Anganwadi centres and government schools.
The State government is planning to produce more organic vegetables in these Nutri-Gardens and use them for programmes such as mid-day meals and Anna Amrutha Hastham. The plan is to use the vacant lands in government schools and Anganwadis to grow more organic vegetables.
At present, around 300 schools in West Godavari district have Nutri-Gardens and the vegetables and fruits are being used for preparing mid-day meals for schoolchildren. The government is implementing the Anna Amrutha Hastham, aimed at providing a nutritious meal to pregnant women and lactating mothers, through the Anganwadi centres across the State.
“In order to end malnutrition and anaemia among children and women, the government has come up with initiatives such as mid-day meals and Anna Amrutha Hastham. We wanted to serve food made of organic produce to more women and children. We will soon develop more Nutri-Gardens in Anganwadi’s and schools. The students are expected to play an active role in the farming activities to make the scheme a success,” Krishna District Collector B Lakshmikantham said.