Lucknow, Jul 27 (IANS): Ramping up the facilities to improve the nutritional level in children of Uttar Pradesh, the department of child development and nutrition in the state has installed baby weighing machines and stadiometer machines in the Anganwadi centres of all the districts.

The growth monitoring devices are required to monitor the weight and height of malnourished children, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women.

According to the government spokesman, around 1,52,432 infant weighing machines and nearly 1,88,219 stadiometer machines have been provided to the Anganwadi centres in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

The government has also provided training to the master trainer for the use of these devices.

The state government is working in a phased manner to ensure that no child in the state suffers from malnutrition.

On one hand, the government has established call centre for the resolution of the problems, while on the other hand, it is organizing profitable programs like 'Weight Day' and 'Poshan Vatika'.

The Yogi Adityanath government has set up a call centre to keep a check on the facilities provided to malnourished children, pregnant and lactating women in UP. More than one lakh calls have been made to the call centre.

In the first phase, calls are being made to Anganwadi workers, women self-help groups and families of malnourished children.

Complaints related to nutrition service availability, quality, call out function are being registered through the call centre. A call centre has been set up to make calls to Anganwadi workers, ASHA, ANMs, women self-help groups and village heads to tackle the problems related to monitoring.

The government has also provided cows to 1,622 families of malnourished children under the Mukhya Mantri Govansh Sahbhagita Yojana along with Rs 900 per month for its maintenance.

In the Poshan Vatika community, malnourished children are being encouraged to switch to local greens and vegetables.

Through Poshan Vatika, children are being made aware about nutritious vegetables at the Anganwadi centres. So far 28,106 Poshan Vatikas have been established.

On the first Tuesday of every month, Weight Day is being organized at Anganwadi centres in the state in which malnourished and children affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) are marked by weighing the children. As many as 12,23,891 underweight and 2,39,158 severely underweight and malnourished children have been identified in UP.