At least 34 students 17 boys and 17 girls fell ill after eating the mid-day meal at Middle School Parasi in Bihar’s Nalanda district on August 18, after detergent or washing powder was allegedly served instead of salt. The children reportedly developed vomiting, dizziness and stomach or throat pain and were taken to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital for treatment.
According to the latest district administration update, all the students were stable and out of danger. School principal Shailendra Kumar Singh said the alleged mix-up occurred when students asked for extra salt and a cook mistakenly picked up washing powder kept near the salt.
The meal itself was supplied through Ekta Shakti Foundation’s central kitchen, which reportedly serves around 23,000 children across 206 schools. Officials said food samples would be tested, while Bihar minister Shravan Kumar visited the hospital and directed doctors to ensure proper treatment.
The incident has also raised questions about food safety, storage and supervision, particularly as an earlier report quoted a district education official disputing the detergent allegation.
A Mix-Up During Lunch
The incident unfolded at Parasi Middle School under Noorsarai police station when students were served rice and a soybean-potato vegetable as part of the scheduled school meal. Principal Shailendra Kumar Singh said that during the second round of serving, some children complained that the food lacked salt and asked for more.
According to his account, a cook accidentally picked up washing powder instead of salt and added it to a student’s food. Other children reportedly asked for salt after seeing the additional seasoning being served and were given the same substance.
Soon afterwards, several students began complaining of vomiting, dizziness and pain or irritation in their stomachs and throats. The children were initially given basic treatment at the school before being taken for medical care, with reports saying some were transported to hospital by e-rickshaws and other private vehicles.
The incident prompted anxious parents to rush to Biharsharif Sadar Hospital, where concerns were also raised over arrangements after several children were reportedly treated on shared beds. Civil Surgeon Dr Jay Prakash Singh visited the hospital and assured families that the children were out of danger.
Questions Over Food Safety
The incident has raised concerns about how basic food-safety procedures were followed at the school. The school principal said the salt and washing powder containers were kept in the same area of the kitchen, which allegedly contributed to the mix-up.
However, the precise circumstances remain subject to official verification. The meal was supplied by Ekta Shakti Foundation’s central kitchen at Ramghat in Nagarnausa, rather than being prepared entirely at the school.
Officials said the same kitchen supplies meals to around 206 schools across Chandi, Nagarnausa and Noorsarai, reaching approximately 23,000 children every day. They also said that two cooks and two teachers had eaten the meal before it was served to the students.
At around 12:30 pm, food was reportedly served to all 132 students at Parasi Middle School, with 34 later reporting health problems and being taken to hospital around 2:15 pm. Authorities have ordered testing of food samples to determine what happened.
The Bihar government’s response has included a visit by minister Shravan Kumar, who met the affected children and instructed doctors to provide appropriate treatment.
Importantly, the latest administration update said the children were stable and that doctors had found no continuing adverse health effects at the time of examination. No FIR or formal complaint had been registered as of the latest report.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
A school meal should never become a source of fear for children or their families. The alleged mix-up at Parasi Middle School may ultimately be found to be an individual error, but the incident still demands a transparent examination of the systems surrounding school meals from the storage of food and cleaning products to supervision, tasting, serving and emergency medical response.
The conflicting early reports, which put the number of affected children at more than 24 before the latest district figure of 34, and differing official accounts about whether detergent was actually involved, make an impartial inquiry and laboratory testing all the more important. At the same time, the focus should remain on the children’s safety rather than blame alone.
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