Bolangir: Over 30 schoolchildren fell ill Saturday after consuming their mid-day meals in Odisha’s Kandhamal and Bolangir districts, according to sources.
In Kandhamal district, several students at Simanbadi Upper Primary School in Kandhamal’s Daringbadi began throwing up and complained of severe stomachaches after eating rice and egg curry during lunch, a source informed.
Following the incident, school authorities rushed over 20 students to Simanbadi Government Hospital. Doctors suspected food poisoning, the source added.
Headmaster of Simanbadi Upper Primary School Bideshi Nayak stated, “I think the SHG engaged in supplying mid-day meals may not have followed standard food preparation procedures”.
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In another incident at Government Project UP School in Dengapadar, under the Muribahal block of Bolangir district, more than 10 students fell ill after eating their mid-day meal.
The students reportedly began throwing up after lunch. Teachers and locals immediately took them to Titlagarh Government Hospital for treatment.
According to sources, allegations were made that detergent powder was used instead of salt in cooking. However, Muribahal Block Education Officer (BEO) Santanu Parihar said the students might have inadvertently ingested detergent residue after improperly washing their plates. “After consuming food, the students washed their plates with detergent powder but didn’t rinse them properly before drinking water,” he explained.
The BEO informed that a probe is being ordered.
PNN
