CURATED BY – HEMANT BORE | CITYCHIEFNEWS

(Chhattisgarh) Bijapur, 35 girls were affected after consuming toxic food at Rukmani Ashram Dhanora in Bijapur district, out of which one girl student Shivani Telam died, while 12 others are admitted in ICU. The sick girls were admitted to a local hospital. Initial investigation has confirmed contamination in the food. The children had eaten rice and vegetables for dinner, after which their health deteriorated. The deceased girl was a class 7 student, who belonged to the tribal community. The other affected children are between 10 and 14 years of age. Their families are shocked by the incident and are accusing the administration of negligence.
The District Collector has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. Food samples have been sent for examination. The concerned wardens and food managers are being questioned. However, villagers say that the administration is trying to hush up the matter and action against the culprits is being delayed.

Local sources claim that the officials are trying to ignore the matter. Parents and social organisations have demanded that the culprits be punished severely and the safety of the students be ensured.

Root causes of the problem:

1. Lack of food quality: For weeks, students had been complaining about the poor quality of food.

2. Ignoring health standards: Hygiene rules were not followed in preparing food.

3. Lack of trained staff: The staff preparing and managing food in the hostel were not trained.

Solutions and improvement measures:

1. Ensuring food quality: Regular checking of food should be done in every hostel.

2. Emergency health services: First aid facility and ambulance service should be ensured for the students.

3. Fixing responsibility: Strict action should be taken against the culprits and regular inspections should be done to prevent such incidents in future.

4. Hygiene measures: Hygiene should be ensured in the process of preparing and serving food.

This incident has reminded the government and administration of their responsibility towards the safety of children. Instead of whitewashing the matter, taking concrete steps and punishing the culprits can only restore the confidence of children and parents.