New Delhi: Nearly 4.37 lakh Anganwadi Centers have established Poshan Vatikas as a result of different interventions undertaken by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in collaboration with the Ministry of Ayush. 1.10 lakh medicinal saplings have also been planted thus far throughout some of the chosen districts of 6 States. Activities for installing nutri-gardens or retrofitting Poshan Vatikas with backyard poultry/fishery units are being carried out in a significant way around the nation as part of the on-going Poshan Maah 2022 initiative.
More than 1.5 lakh instances of retrofitting Poshan Vatikas with backyard aviaries and fisheries have been documented thus far. Additionally, more than 75,000 sensitization sessions have been held to promote millets and kitchen gardens in backyards. Curiously, close to 40.000 land identification drives for nutri-gardens/Poshan Vatikas have also been recorded under Poshan Maah so far in order to reproduce the model of Poshan Vatikas at/around new AWCs.
The Poshan Abhiyaan, which the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched on March 8, 2018, aims to enhance nutritional outcomes for kids, teenagers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding moms. The Abhiyaan is a crucial part of Mission Poshan 2.0, which aims to address the issues of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers through a strategic shift in nutrition content and delivery and by building a converging eco-system to foster and promote practises that foster health, wellness, and immunity.
Poshan Vatikas, also known as Nutri-gardens, are being established all throughout the nation to provide simple and affordable access to fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants, and herbs. This purpose is to provide the appropriate kind of nutrition. The concept is straightforward: women and children should receive a fresh and consistent supply of locally grown fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs directly from a nutri-garden located at or close to an Anganwadi Center.
Poshan Vatikas can significantly improve dietary diversity by supplying essential micronutrients through regional fruits and vegetables. A nice illustration of convergent action on-ground is Poshan Vatikas. In addition to the benefits of having healthful produce close at hand, this will lessen reliance on outside sources and make communities self-sufficient in terms of food.