Bandipora, Oct 1: Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department (SWD), Sheetal Nanda Friday said that malnutrition was prevalent among children in Jammu and Kashmir.
Presiding over a function of PoshanMaah at Wular Vintage Park in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, she said, “I have witnessed malnutrition among children in districts near Srinagar. Their height and their growth is not up to the mark. I am sure there will be such cases in Bandipora too.”
Nanda said she was desirous of conducting a fresh survey of children suffering from malnutrition.
Requesting all the ICDS centres to have a proper register of children with malnutrition, she said, “Another target of the Social Welfare Department is to eradicate anemia of children, adolescents and pregnant mothers too who will also be registered.”
Nanda said that the approach of the ICDS centres would be to ensure targeted and maximum possible nutrition so that within six weeks, they can declare eradication of malnutrition or anemia.
She said that the SWD’s work was not only to call and feed children but to ensure that nutrition was also benefiting them.
Nanda said that every anganwadicentre was supposed to have tap water and toilets for which the Jal Shakti department and Swach Bharat Mission gave their commitment. She requested the supervisors to approach them and wherever toilets had not been constructed, the matter should be taken up with the department as sufficient funds were available for this.