Bhopal—Malnutrition cases are once again surging in the tribal-dominated areas of Madhya Pradesh. The latest incident comes from Saharana village in the Kolu Panchayat of Shyopur district, where three children have died in the past month.

According to a local newspaper, all three deaths have been attributed to malnutrition. While villagers provide varying accounts of the exact causes and timing of the deaths, it is generally agreed that the children were all frail, suggesting that malnutrition was likely the cause.

The Sahariya community, one of the most marginalized tribal groups in the region, resides in this area.

Historical data indicates a troubling pattern of child fatalities due to malnutrition, making Shyopur district the most severely affected by malnutrition in the state.

According to villagers, some children in Saharana are still ill, and many are significantly underweight for their age. Among the most critically affected is one-year-old Sathal, daughter of Naresh Adiwasi.

Naresh Adiwasi informed a local daily that his older daughter, Maithal, who was three years old, passed away about a month ago. He is now deeply concerned about his younger daughter, Sathal, who has not shown improvement despite being examined by the village doctor last Friday.

Similarly, Ballu Adiwasi’s son, who was also frail, died around 14-15 days ago. Additionally, Kirti, daughter of Rampal, who was severely undernourished, passed away four days ago.

Narendra Sharma, in charge of the sub-health center in Tarraklan, confirmed that he has been informed about the children's deaths and noted that patients from the village regularly visit the center for medical attention.

Saharana, a village predominantly inhabited by the Sahariya tribal community, consists of approximately 200 households. The residents primarily engage in labor, and many migrate from the village in search of employment.

Jay Singh Jadon, a member of Ekta Parishad, an organization working with tribals in Shyopur, noted that weakened children are especially susceptible to other illnesses during this season, with most incidents occurring during the rainy season.