Published: 06th October 2014 06:08 AM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A study conducted by an NGO, RIGHTS, based here has revealed that 70 per cent of children in the state have not been enjoying the provisions of nutritional food distribution supply systems.  According to the study, children belonging to dalit, adivasi and fishing communities of the state critically lack nourishment.

The services of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) had been received only by 28 per cent of children in the state aged between 0 to 6 years.

According to the study, the number of children in the state suffering from ailments due to lack of proper nutrition has increased eight fold in the last five years.

The study observed striking increase in the number of children suffering due to health problems, owing to lack of nutritional food, in dalit, adivasi and fishing communities in Palakkad, Malappuram and Idukki districts .

It said that while the number of children in Palakkad who suffered due to health problems, owing to lack of nutritional food, was 229 in 2008, the number increased to 2,209 in 2013.

In Malappuram, the number of children who suffered due to health problems was 404 in 2008 but it rose to 2,605 in 2013. In Idukki, it was 57 in 2008 which rose to 405 in 2013.

While 25 per cent of the children in the state do not get nutritional food, on an average, 37 per cent of dalit children in the state do not get nutritional food. Similarly, 45 percent of adivasi children and 36 per cent of children in the fishing community do not get nutritional food.