Chandrapur: A mid-day meal at a Zilla Parishad school in Pardi village, located in Saoli Tehsil of Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district, led to 70 students falling ill after consuming khichdi on Thursday afternoon. The affected students, all from Classes 1 to 7, were immediately admitted to a hospital in Saoli for treatment.
The school, which has a total of 133 students, saw nearly half of its attendees impacted. A woman who prepared the meal also experienced adverse effects and is receiving medical care.
A team from the education department, along with local police, has initiated an investigation into the incident. Eight doctors are closely monitoring the students’ condition as part of the treatment process.
This is not an isolated incident in Maharashtra. In October, a similar case was reported in Thane district, where 38 children fell ill after consuming a mid-day meal at a private school. The affected children in that incident were hospitalized with symptoms like dizziness, nausea, headaches, and stomach pain.
Authorities are expected to take further action as investigations into both cases continue, raising concerns about the quality and safety of meals served under the mid-day meal program.
