WCD asks people to share traditional recipes for database of indigenous nutritious food

The appeal was made by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani as the country observes 'Poshan Maah' this month. "In order to form a database of indigenous food items with high nutrition value, the WCD Ministry seeks support of people of India.

The Women and Child Development Ministry has urged people to share traditional recipes of their region and family for it to build a database of indigenous food items with high nutrition value. The appeal was made by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani as the country observes 'Poshan Maah' this month.

"In order to form a database of indigenous food items with high nutrition value, the WCD Ministry seeks support of people of India. Contribute towards Bharatiya Poshan Krish Kosh by sharing traditional recipes of your family and region," she said in a tweet. Irani said the government is developing 'Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh' -- a repository of indigenous crops of every region and district.

"We also aim to form a database of indigenous recipes of every corner of the country," she tweeted. "We have a diverse range of indigenous ingredients which not only add flavour to the food but also cater to the daily intake of micronutrients required for a healthy mind and body. Each region, family of India has a legacy of its own when it comes to food," she said in another tweet.

The minister said during 'Poshan Maah', the government will launch a drive to identify Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children and ensure adequate nutrition and care which will have a long-term impact on the health of a child and go a long way in improving India's nutrition indices. Later, in a webinar, Irani interacted with officials from different states and union territories regarding preparations for the 'Poshan Maah'.

The officials shared the best practices followed by them in dealing with malnutrition. Sharing the experience of establishing nutri-gardens in anganwadi centres, the representative from Lakshadweep pointed out that the gardens in each centre supported 15 houses around it.

The representative explained how the initiative ensured sufficient fresh fruits and vegetables for the islanders, especially during the pandemic. Representatives from Gujarat informed that they launched a three-day statewide campaign #EkBaalakEkPaalak under which 70,000 SAM children were adopted by 'Paalak wali' (guardians).

The campaign is aimed at reducing malnutrition by 3 per cent. Besides, unique IDs of 1.08 lakh severely underweight children were created for follow up and beneficiaries were tracked during home visits by anganwadi workers, according to the representatives.

'Paalak walis' were also motivated to do the same through phone calls, the representatives said. The WCD team from Odisha highlighted the inclusion of millets under their supplementary nutrition programme model.

"As an outcome, the nutritional status of targeted children, pregnant women and lactating mothers improved," the representative from the state said. As an intervention to address malnutrition in Uttarakhand, the government representatives from the state said SAM children were adopted by government officials and public representatives.

"Out of the total adopted SAM/MAM children, 1962 children became normal and 385 children showed marked improvement," the representative said. MAM stands for Moderate Acute Malnutrition.

To tackle the issue of insufficient nutritional intake of intended beneficiaries in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu during COVID-19, a micro plan for growth monitoring of children was initiated under which 100 per cent SAM/MAM children were identified for further interventions, according to representatives from the union territory. The National Nutrition Month is celebrated every year in September.

During the month, the government organises programmes to spread awareness on issues related to malnutrition like stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia and low birth weight in children, and focus on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. 'Poshan Mah' is celebrated under the National Nutrition Mission or 'Poshan Abhiyan' which aims to tackle malnutrition in the country.

According to the National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4), 38.4 per cent children below five years of age are stunted or low height-for-age and 21 per cent wasted or low weight-for-height in India. As many as 48.3 per cent of children in Bihar under five are stunted, the survey said.