CAMPAIGN FOR NUTRITION SECURITY
The Nutrition Month from 1st September to 30th September is going to end tomorrow. We should have a stocktaking what has been done and what has been the impact. I was discussing with Mr. Basant Kar,the eminent Nutrition Expert what can be done and how the Civil Society Organisations can do. In the tribal areas, the extent of Malnutrition ( Stunting and Wasting ) is alarming as per NFHS Data. As one visits tribal villages, one can see the state of malnutrition. During a period of 2014 to 2018, I had visited many tribal villages in 10 districts, 20 Blocks and 100 GPs to understand the entitlement of the citizens as regards the implementation of Food SecurityAct and to my horror, many have been deprived of the PDS Card; the Anganwadi's are not functioning; the supply of mid-day meal to the school children is most erratic. Many do not know what has been the entitlement.
If you look at the tribal communities, their nutrition is dependent on Forest Food ( Fruits, Flowers,Leaves, Tubers etc) but in most of the area, the forest is gone. If you look at Agriculture, the traditional crops like Millets, Pulses, Oilseeds are on the decline as the commercial crops like Eucalyptus, Cotton, Lemon Grass, Commercial Maize are heavily promoted. Food Sovereignty of the tribal communities are at stake.
Please read my Facebook Posting and the Link is: https://lnkd.in/deD5bzuJ
Thank you for sharing.