Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Anganwadis of the city, the backbone of child development, education and nutrition programmes, are now struggling to serve their basic purpose.
Across the city, many Anganwadi centres operate in shabby and unhygienic conditions and a glaring lack of maintenance. Nearly two lakh women and children who rely on these facilities every day, are forced to endure an environment that falls far short of being proper.
Rats scurrying inside bowls meant for children’s meals, torn mattresses reeking of dampness and washrooms left unclean for years, are the so-called “facilities” offered to the beneficiaries under the state’s flagship welfare scheme.
Once centres of nourishment, learning and safety, today the centres have turned into hubs of filth and administrative apathy. The Women and Child Development Department, responsible for the upkeep of Anganwadis, appears to be sunk in a sanguine slumber.
A Free Press tour to several Anganwadis in the city revealed scenes that sharply contradict the government’s glossy billboards and public claims.
Many centres exuded a mixed odour of damp grains and rat droppings and the air was full of dust and decay.
At Anganwadi Kendra No. 5, Loharpatti, worker Saika Durga Solanki defended the centre’s hygiene, saying, “We try our best to maintain cleanliness, but around 40 children come here daily, eat food and scatter it around. This attracts rats, which we cannot completely drive away.”
However, a Free Press investigation revealed that Solanki was merely a helper, while the main karyakarta (worker), Anju Neema, responsible for maintaining the Anganwadi, remained absent most of the time.
At Kendra No. 6, Ward 34, Scheme No. 78, worker Monicka spoke in visible frustration: “About 40 children come here, yet the room is so small we can’t even spread play mats. The government has not provided utensils, so I use my own to serve food. This centre runs in a rented property owned by my relative, who charges only Rs 3,000 per month, though he could easily get Rs 8,000.”
The most shocking sight, however, was at Anganwadi No. 78–Kendra 01 in Aranya Nagar, which was found locked at 2 PM, even though its official working hours extend till 4 PM. When a neighbour called the worker Uma Yadav, she returned from home to open the centre.
“We are forced to close early because people sit outside gambling, which sets a bad example for children and makes women uncomfortable. We have complained repeatedly to the area corporator, but in vain,” she said.
The centre itself was in a pathetic state, poorly lit, with rat-infested floors and a washroom that had not been cleaned in two years. Human excreta was found spread around the toilet seat.
Whither govt norms for Anganwadis ?
• Each Anganwadi centre is allotted a 25-by-25-ft space, but the actual usable area is often much smaller.
• Rooms are overcrowded, with even 20 children struggling to sit together comfortably.
• Many centres close before the official 4 PM time, violating schedule norms.
• Staff absenteeism is common and in several cases, unauthorized persons were found gambling on the premises.
• Hygiene is severely neglected, compromising child health.
• Basic amenities, such as ARO water purifiers, were missing in most centres.
• In some facilities, rats were found inside utensils used to serve children’s meals.
