Tribal kids drop like flies, state indifferent

Sagar Wagh, a two-and-half-year-old tribal boy from Mokhada village in Palghar district of Maharashtra died of extreme malnutrition on August 30 at a government hospital in neighbouring Nashik district after battling for life for four months. He was weighing a mere 4.5 kilograms then.

Sagar is one among the 126 tribal kids who lost their life between April-July this year due to acute malnutrition in the Palghar district, which is barely 100 kms away from Mumbai which contributes to one-third of India's total direct tax, Rs1.15 trillion last year, and harbours some of the richest people in the world.

All 126 children were less than a year old. Of them, 54 infants had passed away soon after the birth, which is an alarmingly high number compared to previous years, admit government officials. At least a dozen deaths were reported from Palghar district in past five months, including that of five mothers as well.

As many as 457 kids have been diagnosed as "severely acute malnourished" (SAM) and 3,159 kids as moderately acute malnourished (MAM), say the figures of integrated child development scheme, compiled in August. In Mokhada taluka of the district, nearly 28% children were found to be severely underweight during health camps.

Incidentally, Maharashtra's tribal minister Vishnu Sawara hails from the same district and doubles up as the guardian minister as well. Over 600-odd tribal kids have died in Maharashtra in these four months due to malnutrition, said officials. The large-scale deaths have sparked anger and frustration in tribal districts and kin of some deceased kids even refused to meet the minister when he visited their hamlets in Palghar on Friday.

Experts cite lack of coordination among tribal, health and women and child development departments, poor implementation of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Ahaar Yojna and closure of VCDC (Village child development centre) as the major reasons for deaths.

Incidentally, Fadnavis government had launched Amrut Ahaar Yojna as its flagship scheme to tackle the tribal malnutrition issue on completion of its first year in November last year. The scheme promises one hot nutritious meal a day to every tribal pregnant woman in the state from third semester to three months post-delivery.

dna, in February, had exposed the poor implementation of the scheme as most anganwadis in the states had refused to serve the meal citing issues including lack of provision of cooking facilities. Rs75 crore was allocated to the scheme rolled out in collaboration with the women and child development department to support over 1.19 lakh women.

Such is the level of apathy that Governor CV Rao was forced to call ministers and secretaries of the three departments to Raj Bhavan on Wednesday to ask them to pull up the socks and coordinate to address this issue.

Vivek Pandit, former MLA of Palghar, blames government indifference for the deaths. "The VCDCs have been closed down and the Amrut Ahaar scheme remains just on paper," he said.

While Sawara and tribal secretary Rajagopal Devara remained tight-lipped, a top official insisted that malnutrition-related deaths are almost consistent over the years. "Early marriage, less gap between children and migration to cities are the reasons," he argued.

Explaining measures to tackle the issue, he said, "Collectors in tribal districts have been directed to admit severely malnourished kids to hospitals. VCDC is being revived and Amrut Ahaar scheme is extended to women from first trimester of pregnancy to delivery and to all kids till six years of age. Over 6.5 lakh children have already got enrolled."

Minister Sawara accused of insensitive remark

"Let them be." That's what state tribal minister Vishnu Savara reportedly said when asked about 600 tribal kids' deaths. According to reports, Sawara made the remark during his visit to a family of a child who purportedly died of malnutrition a fortnight ago. The family refused to meet the minister after which he reportedly made the remark. Sawara could not be reached for comments, even as Congress and NCP demanded action against the minister.