Over 300 students fall sick after eating mid-day meal in Bihar school, probe ordered

Over 300 students in Bihar’s Saharsa fell ill after consuming a mid-day meal allegedly contaminated by a dead snake, officials said.

At least 300 students of a government middle school in Bihar’s Saharsa fell ill and complained of stomachache and nausea on Thursday after consuming a mid-day meal (MDM), which they alleged was contaminated by a dead snake.

Over 300 students in Bihar’s Saharsa fell ill after consuming a mid-day meal (Representative photo/ Shutterstock)

The children undergoing treatment at government health centres are out of danger, district magistrate (DM) Deepesh Kumar, who visited the Primary Health Care (PHC) centre, said.

“I have directed the DEO (District Education Officer) to lodge an FIR against the NGO and school management, and a team will be set up to investigate the matter,” DM Kumar added.

Students of Middle School Baluaha, under Mahishi block of Saharsa, reportedly consumed the MDM around 10 am, following which they started complaining of stomachache and nausea.

Around 300 schoolchildren were taken to the Mahishi Primary Health Centre (PHC). “A large number of children complained of stomachache and nausea and soon we informed higher officials and they were rushed to Mahishi PHC. Some of the children were later shifted to Saharsa district hospital,” the school authorities said.

The school has around 600 enrolled students.

“We are camping at the PHC, and a probe has been ordered,” DEO Hemchandra told HT.

Parents who reached the school after the children fell ill alleged that a dead snake was found in the MDM.

The DEO said, “We are looking into the matter from all possible angles and a sample of the MDM was taken for examination,” when asked about reports that a dead snake was found in the meal.

District programme officer (DPO) Shalini Jagriti, who is on leave, told HT, “An NGO supplies MDM in various schools in the district. We are very much concerned about the incident.” She added that a decision will be taken by the DEO, however, all concerned officials, including the school headmaster, would be served show-cause notices in this regard.

School authorities said that the MDM was being supplied to schools by an NGO and they cannot be held responsible. “We are in no way responsible,” said school headmaster (in-charge) Anupama Kumari, adding, “The headmaster Vikash Kumar is on leave.”

Bharat Ratna Dr B R Ambedkar Dalit Utthan Avom Shiksha Samiti, which supplies MDM to various schools in Saharsa, had come under fire previously. “This is not the first incident, there are serious complaints against the MDM supplied by this NGO in the district,” an education department official told HT on condition of anonymity.

Coordinator of the NGO, Rohit Kumar, could not be contacted for comment.