‘Poshan On Wheels’: Two Mobile Anganwadi Vans Flagged Off In Chandigarh To Feed Children And Fight Malnutrition

New Delhi: To tackle the problem of malnutrition in Chandigarh, Punjab Governor and Union Territory Administrator V P Singh Badnore launched ‘Poshan On Wheels’ campaign to beat malnutrition by serving free nutritious meals. The initiative saw flagging off of two mobile anganwadi vans in Chandigarh which will travel across the Union Territory to provide nutritious meals to the children and provide the benefits of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme (a government programme in India which provides food along with other services to children under 6 years of age and their mothers) to the marginalised population.

Sharing highlights of the initiative on his social media handle, V P Singh Badnore said,

Poshan on Wheels: A unique initiative. Flagged off Mobile Anganwadi Vans under Poshan Abhiyan, which will carry nutritious food for the infants, expectant and lactating mothers especially at the construction sites.

Also Read: How Did This Chhattisgarh District Become The ‘Breastfeeding Champion’ Of The Country

Sharing more details about the campaign, Sarita Wodwani, Consultant, Social Welfare, Women and Child Development, Chandigarh said,

These mobile vans will cover those areas which are usually left unattended such as the construction sites. Every day, at around 11:30 am these mobile vans will start delivering nutritious meals to children and pregnant women. The motto is to cover those areas where the benefits of ICDS scheme are not reaching directly such as in jhuggis, slums, construction sites and more. The vans are well equipped with utensils, plates, tiffins, even a hot plate so that the food being served is in its best quality and is hot.

Also Read: Banega Swasth India: Nutrition Experts Weigh In On The Crisis Of Malnutrition In India

Currently, the ‘poshan on wheels’ vans will cover the construction sites of Colony No. 4 (EWS Houses), Sanjay Colony Industrial Areas, the construction site of PGI, police flats in Dhanas and the construction area near Secretariat, Sector-9 Chandigarh.

Ms Wodwani adds,

Via this initiative we are looking at a total of 415 beneficiaries including children in the age group of 6 months to 6 years, pregnant woman, and adolescent girls. In the future, we plan to increase the vans and cover more sites.

Sharing details about the food menu and the hygiene factor that is being kept in mind while making these meals, Ms Wodwani said,

The food menu is the same as the usual anganwadi menu – from rice, pulses, roti and milk we will give it all. The menu changes daily and special focus is given to the nutrition, as the main purpose of these vans is to provide food to the vulnerable group and beat malnutrition instances.

Also Read: Investing In Nutrition Is Critical For Economic Growth Of India: Basanta Kar, Nutrition Leadership 2019 Awardee

Administrator V P Singh Badnore also checked the food on Thursday, on the first day when the vans were flagged off in Chandigarh. He had asked the officials and people involved in the initiative to make sure the emphasis is on proper nutrition and healthy meals and hopes with this Chandigarh can become a ‘Swasth Chandigarh’.