MUMBAI: In a survey conducted by anganwadi workers, 16,344 cases of malnutrition in children, belonging to economically underprivileged families, were found in the Mumbai suburban area, which prompted the Mumbai suburban guardian minister Ashish Shelar to order the district administration to prepare a plan to adopt remedial measures within 10 days.
The survey was conducted by anganwadi workers in February 2025, under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, a flagship programme that aims to improve the nutritional health of children, pregnant women and lactating mothers through supplementary nutrition and immunization. The survey was conducted with a sample size of 2,34,896 children.
According to the survey report submitted to the state government on Thursday, the children were tested for height and weight of which 2,887 were found suffering from severe malnutrition and 13,457 suffering from moderate malnutrition. The government will now verify the data. It has asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) health department to start a drive where check-ups of the children will be done following which a final list of malnourished children will be tabled to the government.
Shelar held a meeting with officials from the district collector’s office on the issue on Thursday, where he expressed concern over the findings. “It is disheartening to know that children are suffering from malnutrition at such a large scale in a developed area like Mumbai suburban district. We need to immediately take action on the issue. Submit the report in 10 days on the measures necessary to solve the problem,” said Shelar. He also asked the administration to expedite the process of check-ups of the children. At the meeting, a decision was also taken to start urban child development centres across Mumbai suburban areas.
{{/usCountry}}Shelar held a meeting with officials from the district collector’s office on the issue on Thursday, where he expressed concern over the findings. “It is disheartening to know that children are suffering from malnutrition at such a large scale in a developed area like Mumbai suburban district. We need to immediately take action on the issue. Submit the report in 10 days on the measures necessary to solve the problem,” said Shelar. He also asked the administration to expedite the process of check-ups of the children. At the meeting, a decision was also taken to start urban child development centres across Mumbai suburban areas.
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