Ampati: An anganwadi centre in Jewilgre village of South West Garo Hills district (SWGH), which was damaged in a storm 16 years ago, remains in a state of dilapidation even in 2022.
“The building was damaged in a storm in 2005 or 2006. During the storm, a huge tree that was nearby fell on top of the structure and damaged it completely,” said an anganwadi worker of the village on the condition of anonymity.
The building falls under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) of the social welfare department. The anganwadi centre is responsible for taking care of the nutritional needs of the children and women of the village itself.
There was, however, no place to store the food material there.
For a few years, an anganwadi worker used her own house as a godown. Eventually, the village community centre was set up next to the anganwadi centre and the villagers agreed to storing the goods in one of the rooms there.
“It’s a temporary solution. If repairs are completed on the ICDS building, we could once again shift back to it,” said the anganwadi worker.
At present, the building looks like a cow shed, devoid of a roof even as wild plants have taken over the compound. As per the worker, information on the damage has been reported to the department on several occasions without any form of action being taken.
“We have stopped complaining as it has become hopeless to seek funds for repairs. These assets should have been maintained but it seems once you help build a structure, the department shuns any further responsibility for its maintenance,” said a resident of the same village.
Zanera RR Marak, the Child Development Project Officer with ICDS, SWGH said there are many structures in dilapidated condition in the district, and that the department was working in a phased manner to construct new anganwadi centres.
“Around 25 centres are currently being worked on in just the Betasing Block,” she added.
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