"Poshan On wheels" - An Initiative that is touching lives from adolescents to pregnant and lactating mothers to children

Our country is still home to the largest number of stunted and wasted children in the world . To combat the dismal state of nutrition in our country the government has launched a scheme. 

The Poshan Abhiyan was started on the occasion of Women’s Day on 8 March 2018, seeking to 
address the issue of malnutrition.It was started under the Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme 
for Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN). The month of September is designated as the Rashtriya 
POSHAN Maah to strengthen the convergence and behaviour change activities to address 
undernutrition in adolescents, pregnant and lactating mothers and children.

A bus named “POSHAN on Wheels” was flagged off from the Deputy Comisioner Office . The 
vehicle moved towards Baskandi, Rajabazar, Lakhipur and Binakandi to mobilize the tea garden 
areas on adequate nutrition and celebration of the POSHAN Maah. Different kinds of activities 
took place in the vehicle like Growth monitoring, measurement of height, and weight of SAM and 
MAM children . Cachar got the award for best performance in identifying severely and 
moderately malnourished children.This was possible with close coordination between health and 
social welfare departments.

Hailakandi too won a couple of awards on the same ground.There are many components covered under the POSHAN Abhiyan. Some are :
• Mapping of various schemes contributing towards addressing malnutrition.
• Enabling real time monitoring through smart phones for information and communication 
technology.
• Organizing Monthly Community Based Management events and Village Health Sanitation 
and Nutrition Day.
• Converting the Abhiyan to a Jana Andolan with the help of community.
• Incentivizing the workers of Anganwadi for using IT based tools.
• Monitoring the regular growth of children at Anganwadi Centres(AWC’s)
The annual targets under this Abhiyan are-
• To prevent and reduce stunting in children (0 -6 years) by 2% per annum.
• Reducing low birth weight (LWB) by 2% per annum.
• Reducing the prevalence of anemia among women and adolescent girls in the age group of 
15 to 49 years.
• Reducing the prevelance of anemia among children (6 to 59 months).
• Preventing under-nutrition in children (0 to 6 years)
 
The women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry on august 29,2021, announced that the 
4th POSHAN Maah will be celebrated as Thematic POSHAN Maah .Theme highlightsTheme 1 -September 1 to 7 , Plantation Activity as “PoshanVatika”
Theme 2 -September 8 to 15, Yoga and AYUSH for Nutrition
Theme 3 -September 16 to 23, Distribution of Regional Nutrition Kit to Anganwadi beneficiaries 
of High Burdened Districts.
Theme 4 -September 24 to 30, Identification of Severe Acute Malnutrition children and 
distribution of nutritious food.
The Poshan Maah in Cachar district started by a inaugural ceremony followed by a rally of 
Anganwadi workers along with supervisors and Poshan coordinators and assistants of the district 
and block. DC Laya Madduri flagged it off on September 3, 2019.
In Cachar on 29th september Social Welfare Department along with District Administration, All 
Government Departments and various NGO’s will organize a mega Food Donation Drive for 
malnourished children . NGO’s from all the corners of the district extended their support to fight 
against this Malnutrition.

Thus to conclude it can be said that this particular Abhiyan got much 
appreciation from the people of this valley . People are overwhelmed by this kind gesture on the 
part of POSHAN Maah Abhiyan. “If you cant feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”