PROBLEM STATEMENT - To reduce High Infant Mortality in Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh due Malnutrition and Lack of Potable Drinking Water.
A) CONTAMINATION OF WATER
1) Fluoride contamination of ground water has been causing diseases like fluorosis in Jhabua. The Nalgonda Technique is the best possible solution at an individual level.
How does it work?
- The fluoride content in the water can be reduced or removed by adding alum in it. However since the reaction between fluoride and alum works best in Alkaline conditions, Lime is also added to the water.
Stirring the water well and then letting the remains settle for a while, filtering the water with a cloth makes it fit for consumption.
This is a low cost method of water filtration which will help avoid an epidemic of fluorosis.
This solution will require the help of doctors and NGO,s to carry out campaigns to educate the inhabitants of Jhabua about the dangers of fluorosis and the techniques of preventing it.
B) MALNUTRTION
1) Uneducated Parents
- The Tribal families in Jhabua dont have much knowledge about the importance of maternal health causing children to be born with low immunity and nutrition.
This problem can be solved by educating them about maternal health, pre-natal care and the right nutrition for infants. Doctors can counsell parents and provide them with knowledge regarding hygeine and cleanliness.
2) Shortage of Water and Infertile soil.
- Due to lack of rainfall and rampant cutting of forests, the soil fertility in Jhabua has reduced thus causing depletion in Ground water reserves. The long term solution to improve soil fertility and increase ground water reserves is afforestation.
- Soil fertility can be improved with the help of advanced fertilizers.
- The government has already started implementing solutions to solve the problem of shortage of water by setting up watershed management programme.
Reference - http://www.jhabua.nic.in/watershed.htm
3) Lack of Job opportunities and Migration.
- When agriculture fails as the main occupation, the farmers become jobless thus causing them to lack resource to buy basic necessities like food. In such cases people migrate to other states causing further problems.
- This issue can be solved if alternative jobs are provided.
I have already mentioned the alternatives in my earlier post.
Brainstorming -
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