Assam’s ‘Matsya Paripusti’ initiative, which uses scientifically processed powder made from small indigenous fish to improve child nutrition, has received the state government’s prestigious Karmashree Award.
The Kamrup-based programme uses locally available fish varieties such as mua and dorikona, which are processed into nutritious powder and added to hot cooked meals served at Anganwadi centres and lower primary schools.
The fish is processed whole and machine-dried before being converted into powder, providing children with protein, calcium, iron, essential vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and other micronutrients.
The initiative was led by School Inspector and District Elementary Education Officer (Kamrup) Tapan Kumar Kalita and his team. It began with awareness and demonstration programmes in 2023 and was initially introduced during Nutrition Month among around 7,000 children across 293 Anganwadi centres. The programme recorded an acceptance rate of nearly 95 per cent.
It was later expanded to 55 Anganwadi centres and 43 lower primary schools, covering around 3,300 children during a six-month intervention. Scientific assessments conducted at the baseline, midline and endline stages recorded improvements in haemoglobin levels, anaemia, nutritional status and growth parameters.
The findings were analysed by WorldFish and subsequently submitted to the National Fisheries Development Board. The initiative is now being considered for wider implementation under PM-POSHAN and the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana across Kamrup, Darrang and Morigaon districts.
Besides addressing child nutrition, the programme could generate additional livelihood opportunities by increasing demand for locally produced fish and supporting fish farmers, processors and rural entrepreneurs.
The ‘Matsya Paripusti’ model demonstrates how local resources, scientific methods and coordinated government efforts can work together to address nutritional challenges while also supporting rural livelihoods.
