Report 

On Tuesday, nearly 30 students at Maganoor Zilla Parishad High School, Mahbubnagar, Telangana fell ill after consuming mid-day meals contaminated with food poisoning and worms. Authorities immediately transferred the affected students to the government hospital in Makthal for treatment. Around 3:30 p.m., the students complained of stomach pains and nausea shortly after eating. Due to a shortage of ambulances, the students were transported to the hospital in private cars and other vehicles.

District Authorities’ Statement and Investigation

District authorities reported that out of 597 students at the school, 400 consumed the mid-day meals, along with five teachers and revenue officials. District Collector Sikta Patnaik clarified that 22 students ate snacks from 14 local bakeries and Kirana stores near the school. Preliminary investigations revealed that the students did not fall ill from the school’s mid-day meals. She emphasized that the officials replaced all rice and cooking ingredients after last week’s incident. Police are collecting samples from local bakeries, kirana stores, and the overhead water tank near the school for analysis.

Previous Incident of Food Poisoning at the Same School

This incident follows a similar one last Wednesday when over 50 students fell ill after consuming worm-infested food at the same school. The authorities transferred fifteen students to the Mahabubnagar hospital, where the staff served them worm-infested food for breakfast. The mid-day meal at the school the following day was also found to be contaminated with worms.

District Administration’s Response and Suspension of Officials

In response to last week’s food poisoning incident, the Narayanpet district administration suspended three officials and issued show-cause notices to three others. Additional Collector Ben Shalom is conducting an inquiry into the matter. After yet another food poisoning incident at the same school, parents have expressed disbelief and are questioning the actions—or lack of them—taken by the state government to ensure their children’s safety.

Source: Telengana Today