Orissa High Court

Cuttack, May 2: The Orissa government today admitted, in an affidavit filed in the high court, that there was no drinking water facility within 250 metres of 8,050 anganwadi centres (AWCs) across the state.

However, according to another status report, earlier filed by the government, a total of 1,463 AWCs had no drinking water facility and till March 15, hand pump tube wells had been installed in 847 AWCs of them. The government was accused of misleading the court as the Mayurbhanj collector’s report, annexed to the status report, had stated that in his district 2,122 AWCs had no provision of drinking water.

On April 19, Orissa High Court hauled up the government for it. Expressing dissatisfaction over the status report, the two-judge bench of Chief Justice V. Gopal Gowda and Justice B.N. Mohapatra had directed secretary of the women and child welfare department to file a detailed status report by April 29.

In pursuance of the order the government filed a status report. “As many as 8,050 AWCs, functioning both in government and private accommodation in 26 districts, do not have drinking water facility within a radius of 250 metres,” said Arati Ahuja, commissioner-cum-secretary of the women and child welfare department in the report.

According to the report, out of the 8,050 AWCs, 2,776 were functioning on government premises, while the rest 5,274 in private accommodation.

Of the AWCs functioning in rented accommodation in different districts without drinking water facility, 1,592 were in Mayurbhanj, 669 in Gajapati, 598 in Keonjhar and 453 in Balangir.

Similarly, of the AWCs functioning on government premises without drinking water facility, as many as 736 were in Mayurbhanj, 367 in Nowrangur, 328 in Sundargarh and 210 in Balasore.

“Out of the total AWCs, functioning on government and private premises which lack drinking water facility within 250 metres, it has been made available by anganwadi workers and helpers,” the status report said.

The high court is monitoring provision of drinking water facilities at anganwadi centres in Orissa while adjudicating a PIL on implementation of the special nutrition programme (SNP) and the mid-day meal (MDM) scheme.

During adjudication of the PIL it was alleged that drinking water was not available in 9,543 AWCs across Orissa.