On an unfortunate day in Hampi Nagar at Ballari district, the boy found a dead lizard in the food served under mid-day meal programme. Almost 90 students from Gaddikeri government high school were admitted to a government hospital after consuming the food, reported Deccan Herald.

As students sat to eat the meal served in school on December 12, they didn’t imagine that they would land up unwell in hospital. The Times of India reported that students were being served pulav, which was cooked on the school campus for lunch. A boy found the lizard and sprung up in shock and the entire room went into a frenzy. After the food was distributed to children, nearly 87 students threw up complaining of stomach ache and vomiting.

Student found dead lizard on his plate

The class 10 student, Nadipur Shahshidar, found a dead lizard on his plate and immediately brought it to the notice of his classmates. By then, most of the students had eaten the food. The school authorities immediately admitted them to a nearby government hospital, where the condition of three students, Lokesh, Kotresh, and Parashuram was warranted admission to Hagaribommanahlli Government Hospital. The hospital authorities checked the boys, who were still in shock, and declared them as out of danger.  

Doctor, who handled the boys said to The Times of India that “All students have recovered, and there’s no cause of concern.” Apart from these three students, the rest of the boys were treated as outpatients in the hospital. They were visited by Taluk Panchayat executive officer B Mallainika, who assured that the boys are safe and the treatment has been given to all the students. As soon the information about the incident spread around Hagaribomanahalli district, the villagers gathered in front of the school and staged the protest against the negligence of cooks and teachers.

Similar incidents across states

Even Block education officers and Circle Inspector Rammapa Savalagi, Sub Inspector P Sarala and Zilla Panchayat member S Gurusidappa paid a visit to the students. Such incidents are not new to the country as similar events have occurred in states like east Delhi, where two minors fell ill after apparently eating mid-day meal in which a lizard was present. They had to be taken to Lal Bahadur hospital, reports The Hindu. In another incident, nearly 22 students of Kharida new primary school from Odhisa were admitted to Kamra Hospital after lizard fell in egg curry. Around 60 students of a government school in Tamil Nadu were admitted to hospital for abdominal pain after finding a dead lizard in mid-day meal.

The Logical Indian take

Although the mid-day meal scheme was introduced in schools to provide better nutrition to students, such negligence by the cooks and teachers are not pardonable. Parents send their child to the school, trusting the authorities to take care of them and also provide them with a nutritious meal. Despite having a set of guidelines laid by the government, the necessary safety measures are not followed by many schools, risking the lives of students.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu: Dead Lizard In Midday Meal, 60 Students Of A Govt. School Hospitalised