Glass shards found in mid-day meal at BMC school in Ghatkopar

BMC education officer Kirtivardhan Kiritkudve said if negligence is found during the inquiry, legal action will be taken against those responsible

Mumbai: At a time when the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cracking down on eateries, including school canteens, for food safety violations, small glass shards were allegedly found in the mid-day meal served to students at the Pantnagar Upper Primary Hindi School, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run school in Ghatkopar, on Thursday.

A student felt a piece of glass between their teeth while eating the meal.

According to teachers, a student felt a piece of glass between their teeth while eating the meal. Teachers then immediately asked all students to stop eating as a precaution to prevent any injuries.

Some teachers and parents, who did not wish to be named, told HT that concerns over the quality of the mid-day meals supplied by Shruti Mahila Sanstha, a local self-help group, had also been raised in March and April this year, but were allegedly not addressed.

“Children have the right to get safe and healthy food in school,” said a parent. “Finding glass pieces in the meal is very serious and puts the lives of students at risk. The system for checking the quality of food should be stronger and more transparent.”

BMC education officer Kirtivardhan Kiritkudve said his office had not yet received an official report from the school principal. “The facts need to be verified before any conclusion is drawn. If negligence is found during the inquiry, legal action will be taken against those responsible,” he added.

Shailesh Talekar, a representative of the Shruti Mahila Sanstha, said, “We are always focused on the quality of the food. We learnt about this incident in the afternoon. On Friday, we will visit the school and check the facts. In the future, we will be more cautious to avoid such incidents.”

Vikas Ghuge, president of the Prahar Teachers’ Association and a teacher in a BMC school, demanded an independent inquiry into the incident. “The health and safety of students should always come first. There should be a fair investigation, strict action against those responsible, and proper accountability for the quality of mid-day meals, so that such incidents do not happen again,” he said.

The incident comes a day after the FDA expanded its statewide food safety drive to schools. The regulator directed the managements of around 108,000 schools across Maharashtra to ensure that their students have access only to safe and healthy food through school canteens. The FDA warned that schools failing to comply with food safety norms could face action, including de-affiliation. The directive also applies to schools that run mid-day meals under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojana.