Prayagraj: In order to make Mid Day Meal (MDM) being served in schools more nutritious and free of adulteration, the state govt has initiated steps to set up ‘Nutrition Gardens’ (Poshan Vatikas) at all primary and upper primary council schools. The process of implementing ‘Poshan Vatika’ has already been launched in Prayagraj division.Officials of the education department claimed, “The use of pesticides and chemicals to boost vegetable production can leave an adverse impact on consumers. In light of this, the Basic Education department has decided to set up nutrition gardens (Poshan Vatikas) at all primary and upper primary council schools. This initiative will benefit 3.5 lakh children studying in 2,832 Uttar Pradesh Basic Shiksha Parishad schools across Prayagraj.”Basic Shiksha Adhikari (Prayagraj), Anil Kumar, said that green vegetables are now being cultivated in parishad schools’ nutrition gardens. He added, “Instructions have been issued to grow seasonal vegetables that can be easily cultivated within the school premises. The selection focuses on vegetables that are easy to grow or are creepers capable of spreading onto the school building’s roof.”All schools have received instructions regarding this, and many have already started producing vegetables.At an upper primary school in Shankargarh, trans-Yamuna, principal Rajesh Singh Patel said students will be split into groups to look after garden beds, plants and pots. He said vegetables have already begun to grow on the campus.BSA, meanwhile, said that another objective is to foster a sense of attachment towards the plants among the children as they plant and cultivate the vegetables themselves. Students will be educated about the characteristics and nutritional value of vegetables and fruits. Crops such as bottle gourd, ridge gourd, pumpkin, tomato, eggplant, okra, spinach, fenugreek, amaranth, and coriander have already been sown in schools.Instructions have also been issued to set up these nutritional gardens in schools where planting was previously hindered by monsoon waterlogging. This initiative will not only foster an interest in vegetable cultivation among students but also encourage them to enjoy their mid-day meals with greater enthusiasm.Plans are also underway to make the mid-day meals served in parishad schools taste more like home-cooked food without compromising nutrition. A blueprint for this has already been prepared for Pratapgarh district.A proposal has been drafted by the Livelihood Mission to serve spices prepared by women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the mid-day meals at these schools.Deputy Commissioner (NRLM) Pratapgarh, Dev Kumar, noted that 1.5 lakh children studying in the district’s parishad schools get roti, vegetables, khichdi, and fruits as part of the mid-day meal. Currently, the spices used for vegetables and khichdi are purchased from external shops or stores, raising concerns about potential adulteration. Now, these spices can be sourced from home-based enterprises run by SHG women.At present, approximately 647 women across 325 groups in 17 blocks of Pratapgarh district are engaged in the work of pounding spices using traditional mortars and packaging them. The district sees a monthly requirement of over 90,000 packets of these spices for its parishad schools. On the one hand, this will provide a large local market for the home-based enterprises run by the women’s groups, while on the other, children will receive meals prepared with unadulterated spices. The supply of spices will commence as soon as the contract is finalised by the Basic Education Department.
