Detergent mixed in Bihar school meal, 35 students fall ill
A cook mistakenly added detergent powder instead of salt to the meal.
In a government school in Nalanda district of Bihar, 35 girl students fell ill on Tuesday after detergent powder was mistakenly added instead of salt to the mid-day meal. This incident occurred at the middle school in Parasi village, located in the Noorsarai police station area. After consuming the meal, the students complained of dizziness and vomiting, following which they were taken to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital. According to officials, all the students are in stable condition and out of danger.
The school's principal, Shailendra Kumar Singh, stated that according to the prescribed menu, soybean and rice were served in the mid-day meal, which was supplied by an NGO. Some students had already eaten when other students complained that there was no salt in the food. According to local sources, the containers of salt and detergent powder were kept in the same place in the kitchen. It is being reported that the cook mistakenly added detergent powder thinking it was salt.
Shortly after consuming the meal, several students began to feel dizzy and started vomiting. Initially, they were given first aid at the school, but when their condition did not improve, they were taken to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital.
Civil Surgeon Dr. Jai Prakash Singh visited the hospital to assess the condition of the students. He informed that all the children are out of danger. Bihar's Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar also visited the hospital and met the ailing students. He inquired about their condition from the doctors and assured that an investigation into the incident would be conducted.
Shravan Kumar said,
A detailed investigation will be conducted to find out how negligence occurred during the preparation and serving of the mid-day meal. This incident has once again raised serious questions about the quality and food safety arrangements of mid-day meals in schools.
There are frequent reports about the poor quality of mid-day meals in schools. What is served to children on their plates often does not match the menu. Nutritional considerations are not maintained. Recently, a video went viral on social media showing children being served very thin and watery vegetables during a mid-day meal at a primary school in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh. After the video went viral, the education department suspended the school's headmistress and terminated the services of the cook.
According to officials, an FIR was also registered against both at the Mahmoodabad police station. The viral video showed watery vegetables being served in children's plates, with a few pieces of potato floating in it. The rotis given to the children also fell on the ground. In the video, a child is seen picking up a roti from the ground and placing it back on his plate.
In a statement, Sitapur District Magistrate Dr. Rajaganpati R and Basic Education Officer (BSA) Gorkhnath Patel stated that Block Education Officer (BEO) Udaymani Patel was also held responsible for negligence in duty. The direct responsibility for monitoring primary schools was his. An adverse entry has been made in his service record in this matter. After the video went viral, the BEO and Mahmoodabad's Block Development Officer were instructed to conduct a preliminary investigation.
During the investigation, officials found that the video was from a primary school located in Chhangapur village of Mahmoodabad block. Officials visited the school and interacted with students and villagers to verify the authenticity of the video. The video was found to be accurate, after which its report was submitted to the District Magistrate's office and the Basic Education Officer.
The District Magistrate held headmistress Kalpana Verma and cook Anita responsible for not serving food and milk in the mid-day meal according to the prescribed standards. Additionally, despite the timely availability of necessary materials, both were also held accountable for preparing poor quality food.