Students having mid-day meal at a government school in Bihar (File Photo)
In yet another incident of children falling sick after consuming a mid-day meal being served in Government schools in Bihar, a total of 93 students were rushed to the primary health care centre Rajaun in the Banka district of Bihar after they complained of uneasiness and discomfort after having their meal on July 19.
The incident occurred when around 100 children of Anandpur Government middle school were served a mid-day meal on July 19, though while having their meal, one of the girl students allegedly noticed a lizard in the meal of a fellow student.
As per the media reports, the students then informed the headmaster about the incident following which he instructed them to throw the infected food and informed the administration about it.
Learning about the incident, a number of parents and locals also reached the school premises soon, following which the students were rushed to the primary health care centre. It’s been reported that all the children were sent home after being provided with primary treatment.
Meanwhile, the district administration after conducting an enquiry into the matter has categorically denied any trace of a lizard in the food and claimed that the speculation of a lizard being spotted in the mid-day meal is false and the children mistakenly identified a piece of garlic as a lizard.
It is to be noted that this is not the first time that the students of Government schools have been rushed to the hospital after consuming the mid-day meal in the State, and incidents pertaining to contaminated food being served to students have been coming to the fore on a regular basis.
Earlier, in a similar incident, around 150 children belonging to two Government schools were also rushed to hospital after they complained of nausea and vomiting following their launch in Narwal Panchayat under Bagaha 2 block of West Champaran in June this year. The doctors who treated the students then speculated that the students had fallen sick due to food poisoning.
In another similar incident, as many as 45 children were also rushed to hospital after they complained of discomfort and stomach ache after consuming their mid-day meal in a Government middle school in Thunthi village of Supaul in Bihar in May this year.
The incident occurred under the Bhimpur police station limit when a mid-day meal was served to the student as per the daily routine, though one of the students, while having her meal, saw a dead lizard in her plate, to which she immediately informed the authorities.
Learning about the incident, the headmaster then suggested to the girl student to throw down her meal though till then, some of the children had already started complaining of stomach ache and vomiting. Soon after the children’s health deteriorated, teachers, with the help of the local cops and villagers who at that time had gathered in large numbers, rushed the children to the Narpatganj PHC.
In a similar incident in Amauna middle school under the Jogbani police station area of Araria district, around 100 students were rushed to the hospital after a dead snake was traced in the Khichdi served to them as part of the mid-day meal on May 27. However, the authorities had maintained that only 30 children fell sick who were immediately rushed to the Forbesganj sub-divisional hospital for treatment.
In another such incident, as many as 35 children fell sick after consuming mid-day meals distributed at a Government school, Utkarit Girls Middle School Rasulpur, Tukulia Tola of Dumri region of Sadar block of Saran in May this year.
It was then reported that when the children were having their mid-day meal, one of the students, Akash, found a dead lizard in his food, following which he informed the Cook, Shobha Devi, about that. Learning about the incident, the school principal Suman Kumari immediately halted the food distribution; however, till then, many of the students started complaining of stomach pain and vomiting, after which they were rushed to the district hospital.
Last month the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had also issued a letter to the Chief Secretary of Bihar over the illness of children after consuming mid-day meals in a Government school in West Champaran. The commission in its letter had sought a detailed report on the matter within four weeks.
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