Nutritional Deficiency of Children in Odisha: A Case Study of Two Villages in The Balangir District  of  KBK Region of Odisha

 

S. Tufailur Rehman¹*, Sibabrata Das²

 

¹Ph. D Scholar, Dept. of Applied Geography, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack

²Assistant Professor, Dept. of Applied Geography, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack

 

ABSTRACT:

The instant and maiden visit of the Prime Minister of India, Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi to the KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) Region in the early 80’s, associated with the threatening tale of a mother (selling away her child for a paltry sum of Rs. 2/- only) flashed out the region into the global firmament, as the most ignobly deprived and distressed region in the Developing world. India is home to largest child population in the world with around 157.86 million children, constituting 15.42 percent of India’s population, who are below the age of 6 years. A significant proportion of these children live in low/poor economic and social environment, which predisposes them to poor nutrition and impedes their physical and mental development. (http:wcd.nic.in/icds.htm). The Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD) runs programmes for the 0-6 age group and frames policies and legislations for the Children. Though India has made progress in fulfilling its commitment to children in their survival protection and development needs, there is still a need to have concerted efforts for Child Development. While considering Odisha state as an administrative unit since the independent of the Indian Union, it has inherited pervasive poverty, illiteracy, poor housing, sanitation, water supply, with the highest MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate) and IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) in country. Hence, two rural settlement units, namely Kuhimunda and Baliabahal, are observed and analysis on the basis of nutritional deficiency and deprivation of children and examined as Case studies in the Balangir district in the background of contrasting locational  and socio- economic parameters which find a place under the  Kalahandi – Balangir- Koraput (KBK) region of Odisha.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

The instant and maiden visit of the Prime Minister of India, Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi to the KBK(Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) Region in the early 80’s, associated with the threatening tale of a mother (selling away her child for a paltry sum of Rs. 2/- only) flashed out the region into the global firmament, as the most ignobly deprived and distressed region in the Developing world.

 

 

 

India is home to largest child population in the world with around 157.86 million children, constituting 15.42 percent of India’s population, who are below the age of 6 years. A significant proportion of these children live in low/poor economic and social environment, which predisposes them to poor nutrition and impedes their physical and mental development. (http:wcd.nic.in/ icds.htm). The Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD) runs programmes for the 0-6 age group and frames policies and legislations for the Children. Though India has made progress in fulfilling its commitment to children in their survival protection and development needs, there is still a need to have concerted efforts for Child Development. While considering Odisha state as an administrative unit since the independent of the Indian Union, it has inherited pervasive poverty, illiteracy, poor housing, sanitation, water supply, with the highest MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate) and IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) in country.

 

Hence, two rural settlement units, namely KUHIMUNDA and BALIABAHAL, are observed and analysis on the basis of nutritional deficiency and deprivation of children and examined as Case studies in the Balangir district in the background of contrasting locational and socio- economic parameters which find a place under the  Kalahandi – Balangir- Koraput (KBK) region of Odisha.

 

LOCATIONAL PROFILE:

1.    KUHIMUNDA is a village located under Deogaon Block with a relatively advantageous location of being situated at a distance of only 11kms. from the District Headquarters at Balangir. The total population of the village is 106, out of which there are 24 children which come to 25.44% of the population.

2.    During this study it shows that out of 24, 12 children suffer from under nutrition and underweight in physique. The physical growth of the children is totally related to children’s nutritional standard which has a bearing on physical growth and distortion in the children.

 

3.    BALIABAHAL is the other village located under Khaprakhol Block, which is disadvantageously located almost at a distance of 80kms from the District Headquarters at Balangir, is one of the most interior and inaccessible villages.

 

The village was selected in consideration of dismal poverty due to socio – economic conditions, lack of irrigation facilities and food scarcity. The problems related to nutritional deficiency/deprivation of children in those villages have been exhaustively examined taking into account the status of health indicators (As the National Scale) as stated below:

 

SOURCE: Primary Data

 

A case study of Deogaon Block has been selected to make an assessment of Balangir District as a whole in a broader perspective. This will create a platform for ‘existing health facilities’ and inclusion of Service Centre approach will help in making a better planning perspective for ‘proposed health facilities’ in the entire Deogaon Block.

 

A Case Study of Deogaon block

The entire district has not taken for the purpose of micro level planning. Instead, on sample basis one representative community development block has been selected. For this purpose, the author has selected Deogaon block. Through proper planning of service centre, agriculture and infrastructures at micro-level in this block, it can be used as a tool for the entire study area of Balangir district with 14 blocks. The Deogaon block is situated between 20⁰28’5.106” N to 20⁰41’24.933” N latitude and 83⁰9’3.339” E to 83⁰36’33.614” E longitude with an area of 485.02 sq. km. The block consisted of 23 Gram-Panchayats and 129 villages, out of which three uninhabited villages. The block head quarter is the only urban centre. The block had a population of about 97645 in 2011. As this block is selected as a study for planning at micro-level as that it can be an indicator for the development planning of the entire study area, the another has made planning proposals for service centre planning, agricultural planning and infrastructural planning.

 

The entire block being an agriculturally dominated area needs a well co-ordinate and suitable agro–development plan for the overall regional development. The present level of agricultural development is not very satisfactory, because it faces some of the basic problems such as inadequate irrigational facilities, scarcity and irrational use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, traditional agricultural practices, lack of effective agricultural policies and programmes, lack of proper credit facilities, lack of market for agricultural products, problems of land ownership and tenure system.

 

 

Under the Article 47 of the Indian Constitution and the National Health Policy (1983) for the provision of “HEALTH FOR ALL” by 2000 A.D., there remains an unusual deficiency in the Health Network with the medical, paramedical, pharmaceutical and institutional facilities to be expanded and offered to the citizens, which is still a long way to be fulfilled as a constitutional promise to the common man.

 

Health:

Health care is one of the most important indicators to measure the state of social well being of a region. The existing establishment providing medical facilities in the study area is mainly primary health centres and sub centres with some limited number of child welfare centres, family planning centres and hospitals. Initially the Health Infrastructure of undivided Balangir District was consisting of one District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), three Sub-divisional Medical Officer (SDH) and twenty Primary Health Centre (PHC) and Govt. Hospital at Tusra, Harishankar, Kantabanji and Gambhari. After the separation of Subarnapur District from Balangir, there remained 01 District Headquarters Hospital, 02 Sub-Divisional Hospital, 15 CHCs. Later on, the system has been developed by upgrading Sector Health Centres (SHC) as PHC (New) in 44 nos. and PHCs as Community Health Centre in 15 nos. with sanction of Specialist Posts, enhancement of beds, strengthening of staff position with mobility support.

 

There is 1 number of CHC, 3 numbers of PHC and 14 numbers of Sub Centres are existing in the sample block.

 

Table 1: Panchayat wise Health Facility of Deogaon Block

Sl. No.	Gram Panchayat Name	Dispensary	Hospital	Community Health Centre	PHC	Sub Centre	Veterinary Hospital
1	Arjunpur				1
2	Badbandh					1	1
3	Bandhapara	1			1		1
4	Deogaon		1	1
5	Dhandamal					1	1
6	Gaibahal					1
7	Gourgoth		1			1
8	Kuturla					1
9	Mahalei					1
10	Makundapur					1
11	Ramchandrapur				1	1
12	Singhamunda					1
13	Udar					1
14	Uperjhor					1

Source: Village wise Census, 2011 and Survey by Author

 

 

 

Planning for Medical Facilities

The existing medical facilities in the study area have been discussed earlier. For identification of medical functional area gaps in the distribution of medical facilities in the region. The author has himself laid down the norm that no settlement should be situated beyond the standard distance of 5 Km. from their nearest medical centres. The Planning Commission of India has suggested revised minimum standard for the period 1988 with a adequately staffed and equipped PHC for every 50,000 population and one sub-centre for every 5,000 population. The norms suggested for the study area on the basis of above mentioned idea are given as follows:

i)    All the villages with 2,000 population should have an MCW (Maternity and Child Welfare Centre) and PHC whereas,for every 10,000 population,there should have a dispensary.

 

ii)   Since a PHC should be established for a cluster of villages 30,000 population now the study area will require more number of PHC. The present author suggests upgrading of some existing medical facilities according to the need of the population. The study area being very poor in health care facilities, it needs proper attention and urgent remedial measures. The remedial measures can be provided in two ways.

a)   The PHCs at present do not cover all the villages, thereby putting large section of the rural population at the mercy of quacks.

b)   The centres are also understaffed. Moreover, the sanitary inspectors are posted only at PHCs and not at the lower level medical centres. For eradication of above problems concerned with PHCs the authorities may examine the following measures.

i)    The working of all PHCs should be regularly monitored by the District Health Department and remedial action should be taken immediately for proper functioning.

ii)   Additional doctors and supporting staff should be posted to make the medical provisions worthwhile.

 

iii)  A Sanitary Inspector should be posted at each of the sub-health centres.

 

i)    In order to improve the living environment and reduce health hazards, it is suggested that the community health workers should create greater awareness among the villagers regarding sanitation.

 

ii)   Every village should be provided with public conveniences (latrines) and defection in open spaces should be discouraged.

 

 

In accordance with Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme Report 2004, the Nutrition Norms are as follows:

 

NUTRITION NORMS UNDER ICDS

Deficiencies	Calorie (cal.)	Protein (gm.)
Children (0-3 years)	300	8-10
Children (3-6 years)	300	8-10
Severely malnourished children		(double of the above)
Check up of Pregnant and Lactating(P&L) Mothers	500	20-25

SOURCE: CURRENT NATIONAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES, Spectrum Books Pvt, Ltd.(2005)p.209

 

In the context of the above two tables, it can be accessed that there is inadequate constitutional obligations to bring up the Nutritional Deficiency/ Deprivation of children of Odisha. For this it is improper to focus on only Nutrition norms but there is the need to mobilize internal resources like Rural Literacy, Rural Housing Water Supply, Nurturing, Social and Ethical Capital, Positive Political Input, Occupational Displacements/ Diversification with Food security, Community Development etc. which are indispensable priorities.

 

In an analysis of the two villages stated above we found that there is no road to KUHIMUNDA village. There is no school. There is no Electricity. There is no Bank, even then the villagers are Literate and they are successful cultivators. It is not that all the villagers are self sufficient but they can be brought into human development if some inadequacies stated above can be mitigated.

 

The village BALIABAHAL largely concentrated with GANDA (ST) population is distantly located from the District Headquarters with economy basing on agricultural returns and collection of NTFP (Non Timber Forest Products).

 

CONCLUSION:

In view of the experiences and impediments faced by the villagers of the afore mentioned two villages, It has been realized that the acceleration of the pace of implementation of Rural Development Programmes, basically in Health Hygiene is an urgent imperative and concentrated efforts need to be made by the State and Central Governments.

 

Again, substantially large financial investments needed to be made for rapidly transformation in the Health Profile of the Villages. For this, it is desired to implement about fundamental changes in the focus and approach to the entire Health Care Delivery System in general and Rural Health Care, in particular in the ignobly deprived and distressed villages of Balangir District in the KBK region.

 

REFERENCE:

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