The first public action against closure of anganbari centres — a crucial tool in fight against malnutrition among infant and lactating mother — took place on Tuesday in Jharkhand, which ranks among top Indian states for malnourished children.

Nearly 70 villagers from across 116 revenue villages of Khuntpani block in rebel-hit West Singhbhum district, some 170km from capital Ranchi, staged a demonstration against closure of anganbari centres which are run under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and provide infants, pregnant and lactating women with supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, health education, immunisation and health check-up.

Asarfi Nand Prasad of the Right to Food campaign Jharkhand unit admitted that closure of the ICDS centres had increased malnutrition levels among mothers and infants across Jharkhand.

“The centres have been closed due to Covid restrictions for the last 17 months and our recent survey found that even take-home rations are not being distributed properly and more than 50 per cent of beneficiaries had claimed that they had not received rations. The hot cooked meals, immunisation and monthly health check-ups which were crucial components of the anganbari centres for infants and mothers have been severely affected leading to an increase in the malnutrition level of the state. The government should immediately take a call on starting of the centres albeit with Covid protocols,” said Prasad.

Jharkhand is among top five Indian states with malnourished — including stunted, wasted and underweight — children according to National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16.

Protesters submit a memorandum to Khuntpani BDO Ravi Jain at West Singhbhum district on Tuesday. Bhola Prasad

“Almost half (45.3%) of Jharkhand’s children below the age of five are stunted, compared to the national average of 38.4%. Again, almost half (47.8%) of Jharkhand’s children are underweight, placing Jharkhand behind only Bihar and Madhya Pradesh in child malnutrition levels as per NFHS-4. The infant mortality rate in Jharkhand is 44 deaths per 1,000 live births and the under-five mortality rate is 54 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to national averages of 41 and 50, respectively,” added Prasad.

Meanwhile, the villagers of Khuntpani submitted a memorandum addressed to the chief minister Hemant Soren, through Khuntpani block development officer, Ravi Jain, demanding immediate opening of anganbari centres. The copies of the memorandum were also sent to state’s social welfare minister Joba Manjhi.

“In West Singhbhum district more than 50 per cent of the infant below five years of age are malnourished and in such a situation anganbari centres were the only source of proper food for the children and mother.

“However, the centres have been closed for more 17 months depriving children of nutritious foods and also education. The malnutrition among children and mothers has increased. We demand that anganbari centres and primary schools should also be opened at the earliest with Covid protocols like masks, social distance etc,” said Ashok Mundri, a village of Khuntpani and a member of Denga Depenga Group (a youth group raising social causes of Kolhan).