ICDS plan getting hit by heat

They risk losing their efficacy is stored at a temperature higher than 25 degree celsius,says an ICDS official.

Health supplements are supposed to be preserved below this temperature,but in Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) and Community Development Project Offices (CDPOs),there are no cold storage facilities.

To prevent supplements from getting destroyed,there was a reported move to restrict supplies to October-February.

Ashok Mankar,Joint Director,State Women and Child Development Commissionerate,however,said,“The supplies are still going on. It is true there are no cold storage facilities for health supplements. AWCs are in remote areas where there are power cuts for 18-20 hours at a stretch. So even if there is a cold storage,it will be hard to ensure supplements remain below 25 degree celsius.”

As per documents available with Newsline,between March 2008 and January 2011,ICDS spent Rs 13.66 crore on procurement of health supplements and administering them to 17,24,839 beneficiaries in 35,135 AWCs (total 200 projects).

In the absence of any facilities (either at CDPO or AWC levels) to preserve the supplements at the recommended temperature,it is difficult to quantify the extent to which these supplements are useful in reducing malnourishment in the target group,says a report.

Quoting the commissioner of the department it says health supplements should be supplied only from October to February.

The report states that a GR to this effect is being issued to prevent supplies from getting deteriorated,particularly in summer.

“No such GR was issued and supply continues. Hence there is no way to ensure whether supplements given to women and children are good or bad,” an ICDS official said.

“Even from October to February,temperature is often higher in some parts of the state.

Hence there is a risk of them going bad,” the official added.

Chances of deterioration are high during their transport as well,says Anganwadi Karmachari Sangathna (AKS) members.

“It takes 8-9 days for supplies to reach us. There is no cold storage while transporting them to remote anganwadis. From there,it is mostly given out within a day.

It is kept in homes of the target group for a month. These people are poor there is no electricity for most part of the day so there are chances of supplements getting bad. But then there is no way out. The government has done nothing to improve cold storage infrastructure,” says Shubha Shamin,General Secretary,AKS.