NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of the deaths of 16 children in a Mumbai slum due to malnutrition

New Delhi, December 27th, 2010

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging that atleast 16 children under 6 years died due to malnutrition and related illness from April this year in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, North-East Mumbai. The report carried on the 13th December, 2010 said that between 40-60 per cent of the city's nearly 7.3 lakhs children up to the age of 4 years, living in slums are malnourished.

The Commission on the 24th December, 2010 observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights of the children in Mumbai and issued notices to the Secretary, Ministry of Health, Government of India, New Delhi and the Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra to submit a report in the matter.

The media report also alleged that the scale of malnutrition in Mumbai suggests a failure in the delivery of Government services and particularly of 35 years of integrated Child Development Scheme, the Central Governments primary means of addressing malnutrition countrywide among children upto six years and pregnant and lactating women.

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