GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asserted that the implementation of the nutrition project ‘Matsya Paripushti’ under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana has yielded significant results in combating child malnutrition in Kamrup district.
The Kamrup district administration ran a pilot project named Matsya Paripushti, incorporating small fish powder in children’s diets as an alternative viable source of protein to improve children’s dietary diversity.
Under the innovative nutrition pilot project, the nutrient-dense fish powder was included in the meals of children aged 3 to 10 years at Anganwadi Centers and Lower Primary Schools.
The project, which engaged 55 Anganwadi Centres and 43 Lower Primary Schools, targeted approximately 3,300 children in Kamrup district.
Highlighting the result of the nutrition pilot project, the chief minister said the unique initiative resulted in a 3.63% reduction in severely stunted children, 5.46% reduction in underweight children, and a 1.67% reduction in severely underweight children.
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“The use of the fish power in the diet has led to an increase in average BMI from 15.54 to 16.11, weight gain from 23.83 kg to 25.12 kg, and height gain from 122.83 cm to 123.95 cm,” Sarma said.
The unique program also focussed on empowering local fish farmers to produce fish powder and integrate it into children’s diets.
