The Hindu Business Line : PDS, food-for-work schemes helpful during droughts: Study

Among the coping strategies adopted by people during food scarcity periods, which varied in States, a majority got timely help from NGOs and the Government.

Hyderabad May 2 In times of drought, the much `criticised' Central schemes such as public distribution system (PDS) and `food for work', seem to be coming in handy to the extent of giving the affected people, some critical food and financial resource to fight the challenge thrown at them by nature.

While deaths due to starvation, severe fall in nutritional status and their associated problems were symptomatically reported a couple of decades ago, recent incidents of droughts, seem to be better fought by the people in the regions impacted.

A recent study in nine states, covering a total of 11,501 households, from 190 villages in 19 districts conducted by the Hyderabad-based, National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), has pointed to the positive contribution by these schemes in maintaining the levels of food and nutrition intake among the populations.

NIN Study

The targeted PDS, to a large extent, helped in maintaining the usual levels of cereals and millets intake by the community in most of the States affected by drought. The average duration of employment under food-for-work programme during the drought was less than a week, the Study found.

Coping strategies

Among the coping strategies adopted by people during food scarcity periods, which varied in States, a majority got timely help from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Government.

As for their own efforts, reduction of frequency and quantity of foods consumed, consumption of low-cost foods and use of food stocks/savings were common.

Migration

In Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Orissa, about 20 per cent resorted to migration to urban areas. About 16 per cent in A.P. and Tamil Nadu reportedly sold household assets to buy food stuffs.

The study was carried out in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu during the drought year 2002-03.

An interesting finding was the fact that the average intake of various foodstuffs, especially protective foods such as pulses, green leafy vegetables, milk and milk products, which was reported to be lower than recommended level even in normal times, decreased further during the drought period.

The extent of under nutrition among pre-school children during the survey period of April-July, 2003 remained similar to that reported during earlier surveys, while in adults there was an increase in prevalence of chronic energy deficiency in half of the States, the NIN study revealed.

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