What ails Bundi?

Perched atop the Aravalli hill range, the fort of Bundi overlooks a large expanse of houses painted white and blue. Scattered among them are a few havelis that remind the visitor of the region's rich heritage. At a stone’s throw, there’s a lake. Its view from Kipling’s Palace—the house where the famous British poet and novelist once stayed—will put even the most restless minds at ease. But travel further into the hinterland and realisation dawns that Bundi suffers a curse.

Many children born in the district don't survive infancy. For every thousand babies born in Bundi, 72 die. In Rajasthan’s context, this is one of the highest infant mortality rates (IMRs)—Jalore, with an IMR of 81, tops the list. This is particularly surprising because neighbouring Kota has a relatively low rural IMR  of 44.
 
Gaping holes in infrastructure

Bundi’s health infrastructure is much like its fort. It looks strong from far. But inspect it from closer quarters and one finds it crumbling from inside.

I visited three Community Health Centers (CHCs) in three different blocks—Nainwa, Hindoli and Talera. At Talera, an immunisination camp was underway; the wards were full and nurses flitted about, giving the impression that it is a functional institution. Things were not radically different in Hindoli or Nainwa.