As many as 194 students of Government Middle School in Sundmara village, located 18 km from the district headquarters of Godda, fell ill after eating the mid-day meal served at the school on Wednesday.
The bananas given to the children for lunch at school were supposedly covered in DDT, an insecticide banned in many countries, which was sprayed near the school one day ago. The doctors looking after the ailing students also diagnosed their symptoms as results of ingesting poisonous chemical compounds.
The children complained of irritation in their upper lip, headaches and severe itching after eating their lunch. Coming to know of the incident, the parents laid siege to the school and held the teachers hostage. Police arrived at the school and freed the teachers; took the students to Godda Sadar Hospital.
Deputy Commissioner, Godda Arvind Kumar stated that steps are being taken to identify the slip-ups and stringent steps will be taken against those responsible for them. “I have instructed the District Superintendent of Education to look into the matter and submit a report within two days.”
After visiting the village and taking stock of the situation, Godda DSE Kamala Singh stated that the children are out of danger now.
“This is a case of grave irresponsibility on part of the school authorities. Knowing that DDT was sprayed in the area, they should have covered the fruits or washed them before serving them to children. Strict action will be taken against the Village Education Committee, Mata Samiti and school administration on grounds that their ignorance caused this to happen,” Singh said.
He further added, “Instructions have been issued in the past stating that eatables to be served in mid-day meals should be kept in clean places and should be cleaned before cooking and serving. These instructions will be once again conveyed across the district.”