A mid-day meal served at a Zilla Parishad school in Pardi village, Saoli Tehsil, Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, caused 70 students to fall ill after eating khichdi on Thursday afternoon. The affected students, from Classes 1 to 7, were promptly taken to a hospital in Saoli for treatment.
Out of the school’s total enrollment of 133 students, nearly half were impacted. Additionally, a woman who prepared the meal also reported health issues and is currently under medical care.
A team from the education department, along with local police, has launched an investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, eight doctors are closely monitoring the students’ condition as part of their ongoing treatment.
This incident is not isolated in Maharashtra. In October, a similar case occurred in Thane district, where 38 children fell ill after eating a mid-day meal at a private school. The affected children displayed symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, headaches, and stomach pain, and were subsequently hospitalized.
As investigations into both cases continue, authorities are expected to take further action, heightening concerns over the quality and safety of meals served under the mid-day meal program.