Survey shows 100% basic infrastructure coverage, but low enrolment remains a concern at hundreds of centres
Sindhudurg: All 1,539 operational Anganwadi centres in Sindhudurg district have access to drinking water and toilet facilities, according to a recent survey by the Women and Child Development Department.
The survey shows that every sanctioned Anganwadi in the district is functioning and has both basic amenities, giving Sindhudurg 100 per cent coverage in drinking water and sanitation infrastructure across all eight talukas.
The finding presents a positive picture of basic facilities at Anganwadi centres, particularly in rural areas where they play a key role in child nutrition, healthcare and pre-primary education.
All Eight Talukas Record Full Coverage
The survey records 100 per cent availability of drinking water and toilet facilities in each of Sindhudurg’s eight talukas.
Kudal has the highest number of Anganwadis at 268, followed by Sawantwadi with 247, Kankavli with 244, Malvan with 228, Devgad with 207, Vaibhavwadi with 147, Dodamarg with 101 and Vengurla with 97.
63 Centres Have Zero Enrolment
Despite full infrastructure coverage, the survey has highlighted a contrasting concern over very low enrolment at several centres.
The district’s 1,539 Anganwadis together have 10,772 enrolled children.
As many as 63 centres have no children enrolled, while 681 Anganwadis have fewer than five children.
Another 401 centres have between six and nine children, while 335 have between 10 and 20 children. Fifty-one Anganwadis have more than 20 children, and eight centres have enrolment above 30.
The figures indicate that while basic infrastructure has been strengthened across the district, enrolment and utilisation remain uneven.
Officials Inspect Anganwadi Facilities
Zilla Parishad Women and Child Welfare Committee Chairperson Anuradha Narkar has recently visited Anganwadi centres in Dodamarg and Sawantwadi talukas to review the quality of nutritional food and facilities such as drinking water and sanitation.
Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Ravindra Khebudkar and Women and Child Welfare Officer Pratik Ugare are also visiting centres and reviewing their functioning.
Kudal Has Highest Child Enrolment
Among the taluka-wise figures available, Kudal has the highest number of children, with 2,178 enrolled across 268 Anganwadis.
Kankavli has 1,909 children across 244 centres, while Sawantwadi has 1,818 children in 247 centres. Devgad has 1,520 children across 207 centres, and Malvan has 997 children in 228 Anganwadis.
The district’s 100 per cent coverage of drinking water and toilet facilities is a notable infrastructure achievement. However, the large number of centres with very low or zero enrolment suggests that future attention may need to focus on utilisation, population patterns and the distribution of Anganwadi services.
