Near to Starvation

The family members of Laxmi Nayak of Godri village in Dasmantpur block were almost starving for the last 14 days till India Mix , the supplementary food was given to her today for the second time after she had given birth to a child two weeks back . This nutritious food is given to all the lactating mother to ensure a healthy motherhood , Gitanjali Turuk , the Anganwadi Worker said .

But with no food in the house , the 2 kg of supplementary food was consumed by the entire family when it was supplied to them on the 1st of this month , Laxmi said . It was finished on the second day itself leaving them to feed upon Mango Kernel and some leaves like many others in the village , she added . Her husband was ailing with a swelling leg and she was not in a position to go for work , she said .

There was no work for the villagers for the last 5 months neither through NREGA or any other source , Indira Nayak , her neighbour said . The children collect mango kernels all along the day and break them before sunset . Laxmi goes to the stream to wash them , make a gruel of it by boiling for the entire family . Children have lost all other taste for quite a long time for there was nothing in the house to give them , a worried Laxmi added.