Berhampur: Around 845 female National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers from 26 colleges in Ganjam district will conduct height and weight assessments of children to determine their nutritional status at 3,071 anganwadi centres under the state’s SUPOSHIT Odisha Mission (SOM).The exercise, initially scheduled to begin on July 20, is likely to be delayed owing to the absence of further instructions from the govt, sources said.“Though the survey was slated to start on July 20, we have not received any subsequent communication from the govt,” said Ganesh Sahu, NSS district nodal officer, Ganjam. He said the programme, being jointly implemented by the women and child development and higher education departments, is now expected to commence next month.Sahu said the district administration has identified and tagged NSS volunteers with anganwadi centres and submitted the list to the govt. Under the scheme, each volunteer will receive Rs 500 per anganwadi centre for conducting valid assessments, besides travel allowances, sources said.Female NSS volunteers from Plus III second and third-year courses and second-year postgraduate programmes will be engaged in the survey. The volunteers will use smartphones to record and submit data.Across the state, 4,797 teams comprising two female volunteers each from 382 colleges have been selected to assess children at 38,373 anganwadi centres.Officials said the SUPOSHIT Odisha Mission aims to significantly reduce malnutrition and make all anganwadi centres malnutrition-free by 2029 by eliminating severe acute malnutrition (SAM), moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe underweight (SUW) among children aged up to six years.As part of the mission, periodic height and weight assessments of children will be carried out to validate their nutritional status and enable timely intervention. The exercise will be conducted by the women and child development department with support from the higher education department.
