Arunachal: WCD ministry team inspects Anganwadis in Ziro, flags drinking water issues

A high-level team from the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), Government of India, conducted an inspection of Anganwadi centres in Ziro as part of the ongoing Poshan Pakhwada campaign. 
 

While the team appreciated the implementation of nutrition schemes, it expressed concern over the lack of drinking water supply at several centres.
 

Joint Secretary of the WCD Ministry, Pallavi Aggarwal, led the central delegation, accompanied by Director of WCD Arunachal Pradesh Yeshi Dema Thongdok, Deputy Director of ICDS Dani Yami, CDPO of Lower Subansiri, and IAS Vivek H.P, Deputy Commissioner of Lower Subansiri district. The team inaugurated the Poshan Pakhwada event at the Golden Jubilee Anganwadi Centre in Siiro, followed by a local nutrition-based recipe competition.
 

The delegation also inspected the Sakhi One Stop Centre, a facility designed to support women affected by violence and sexual assault, as well as the Child Care Institute in Ziro.
 

Speaking exclusively to India Today NE, Pallavi Aggarwal expressed her overall satisfaction with the functioning of Anganwadi centres in Ziro and commended the efforts of local officers in implementing the Poshan Abhiyaan schemes.
 

“Children appear healthy, and the officers are doing commendable work,” Aggarwal said. “However, areas like growth monitoring and data entry through the Poshan Tracker app require stricter oversight and accuracy. The Centre provides 90 per cent of the funding while states contribute 10 per cent, and it’s essential that all schemes follow the stipulated guidelines and setup criteria.”
 

She further expressed displeasure over the lack of water supply in many Anganwadi centres, citing it as a major hindrance to maintaining hygiene and ensuring child and maternal health. "The failure of Jal Jeevan Mission implementation in these centres is concerning,” she added.
 

Director Thongdok responded by assuring that the Public Health Engineering Department (PHE) has already allocated funds to address the issue and water connections will soon be provided.
 

Deputy Director of ICDS Dani Yami also spoke to India Today NE and highlighted the importance of such visits from central officials. “We currently serve lactating mothers and BPL families with take-home rations that include chana, millet-based items, and organic produce. In Lower Subansiri district, we have one CDPO, four supervisors, and 108 Anganwadi Centres. However, we still lack CDPO quarters and hope for provision in the future,” Yami noted.