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| Food Insecurity Atlas of Urban
India |
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 M.
S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and the World Food
Programme have brought out a report on food insecurity
in urban India. The dimensions of the problem were studied
across the urban areas of the States and Union Territories
and across different size classes of towns-metropolitan
cities, big towns, medium towns, and small towns. The
analysis indicates that there are wide variations in
the nature and extent of the problem of food security
across different States in the country, across different
size classes of towns in the States, and within different
types of towns. |
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 Some
important issues have been brought to light for policy
consideration. Food intake at the average level is not
an indication of the food intake of the urban lower
expenditure classes. The lowest deciles in all the States
appear to eat less. The problems are aggravated with
urban concentration. Things have changed for the worse
for the urban poor in recent years. Daily status unemployment
rate is high for the lower expenditure classes and related
to low calorie intake of the poorest. Lower deciles
in urban areas hardly benefit from the public distribution
system. The head count ratio of poverty does not reflect
the calorie intake of the people. In addition, there
is a possibility of missing out the needy through the
arbitrary selection of the 'below the poverty line'
category. Hence, it is first necessary to de-link head
count ratio of poverty from allocation of PDS foodgrains
and to make PDS universal. Second, food-for-work and
other programmes such as Nagarpalika Rozgar Yojana need
to be launched to reduce the daily status unemployment. |
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| Slums, mounting garbage, menace
of mosquitoes, and lack of toilet facilities are some
of the serious concerns in urban areas. Several States
have made considerable progress in certain areas of
sanitation and hygiene. This clearly shows that cleaner
cities and towns is an achievable goal. Recycling of
used water can be supplied for flushing toilets. Segregation
of garbage and recycling of waste can provide profitable
jobs for many and keep the cities clean too at the same
time. The development of peri-urban green belts will
go a long way in improving urban amenities. |
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| None of the States are free from
problems. However, the remarkable achievement of some
can provide guidance to others. Better food affordability
achieved by Jammu & Kashmir, better livelihood access
in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, better sanitation and
health found in Himachal Pradesh, Assam, and Kerala,
and better nutritional standards achieved by Kerala
and Karnataka provide clear examples. |
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| Coming to different size classes
of towns across the country, the study has established
the fact that problems of food security are more acute
in the case of small towns. The deprivation faced by
households with regard to securing employment as well
as access to amenities is the highest for those living
in small towns. This finding has an important policy
implication-which is, that programmes that aim at improving
the living conditions of the urban population, especially
the urban poor, as well as those that aim at increasing
economic access to food will have to accord priority
to small towns. |
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| A detailed analysis of metropolitan
cities has shown that, while urban problems are in general
much less severe in the metros compared to other urban
areas, the magnitude of the problem in metros is very
high indeed. The findings also suggest that a decentralised
and comprehensive policy approach should be adopted,
as there is a great deal of variation in the nature
of the problem of food security across States and towns. |
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| (Reports: By Kanta Murali in the Frontline
Vol. 20, Issue 01, Jan. 18-31, 2003) |
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| Visit : Food
Insecurity Atlas of Rural India |
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| Visit : Atlas
of the Sustainability of Food Security in India |
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