At least 15 students and their teacher fell sick after consuming mid-day meal at a primary school in Tarari village under Chandi block area of Nalanda district on Wednesday.
Students and their teacher complained of stomach upset after eating the meal at their school. Sources said that they might have developed health complications after eating rotten potatoes. All of them were taken to a private nursing home for treatment and their condition was stable. The district authorities have taken the food for laboratory test. A probe has been ordered into the matter, sources added.
Meanwhile, 22 children who had returned to Dharmasati Gandaman village in Saran district on Tuesday after their successful treatment at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) attended their classes. All children, however, took full precaution in view of the mid-day meal tragedy at their school on July 16. In all, 23 children had lost their lives after eating mid-day meals at their Government primary school at Gandaman village.
Their classes have been shifted to a middle school, 300 meters away from their previous school. Children not only brought their own food packets but also carried water bottles, preferring not to take any chance with their lives. Safe drinking water in the remote villages of the State has also become a great challenge before the State Government as children have fallen sick after drinking water from hand pumps installed near their schools.
State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has asked School Education Committees (SECs) and chowkidars to remain vigilant against the poisoning of hand pumps by anti-socials.