Child Malnutrition No Longer A Rural Problem In Maharashtra; Mumbai, Pune See Alarming Rise

Last Updated:July 04, 2025, 12:00 IST

Even more shocking is the fact that Mumbai’s suburbs have emerged as the region with the highest number of malnourished children in Maharashtra.

The latest government data paints a grim picture: a staggering 1,82,443 children across Maharashtra are classified as malnourished.

Once primarily associated with tribal regions like Melghat in Amravati district, child malnutrition in Maharashtra has now taken a worrying turn, with more cases emerging in urban areas than in rural parts of the state. The latest government data paints a grim picture: a staggering 1,82,443 children across the state are classified as malnourished.

Even more shocking is the fact that Mumbai’s suburbs have emerged as the region with the highest number of malnourished children in Maharashtra. Out of the total, 1,51,643 children fall under the ‘moderately malnourished’ category, while 30,800 are severely malnourished — a sign that despite various nutrition schemes, the problem remains deeply rooted. What’s striking is the shift from villages to cities. While earlier, tribal belts like Melghat were synonymous with child malnutrition, today cities like Mumbai, Nashik and Pune are showing concerning numbers.

In Mumbai’s suburban belt alone, 16,344 children have been found malnourished. Of these, 13,457 are moderately malnourished while 2,887 fall into the severe category. Nashik follows closely behind with 9,852 malnourished children, including 8,944 moderately and 1,852 severely malnourished. This sharp urban spike raises tough questions about how well government programmes are reaching the urban poor, especially slum communities where families struggle with basic food security.

Pune, one of the state’s fastest-growing cities, also features in the list with 7,410 moderately malnourished and 1,666 severely malnourished children. In Thane district, 7,366 children are moderately malnourished, while 844 are severely affected. Districts like Dhule, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), and Nagpur too report worrying numbers, each with thousands of children battling malnutrition despite large budgets earmarked for nutrition and health schemes.

For example, Dhule district has 6,377 moderately and 1,741 severely malnourished children. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has 6,487 moderate and 1,439 severe cases. Nagpur has 6,715 moderate and 1,373 severe cases. The data suggests that while schemes exist on paper, the impact on the ground is limited. This new urban face of malnutrition demands urgent attention from policymakers, social workers, and local bodies.

Experts say that rising food costs, urban poverty, and lack of awareness about nutrition in crowded city slums are worsening the crisis. Many children still miss out on proper meals despite mid-day meal programmes and anganwadi services. If the government truly wants to tackle this crisis, it must plug loopholes in delivery, strengthen nutrition centres, and ensure that the money meant for children’s meals reaches their plates. The numbers are a wake-up call for everyone.

Mayuresh Ganapatye

Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @mayuganapa...Read More

Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @mayuganapa...

Read More

Location :

First Published:

News india Child Malnutrition No Longer A Rural Problem In Maharashtra; Mumbai, Pune See Alarming Rise