THANE: Forty students and a teacher from Municipal School 88 in Agasan, Diva, were admitted to Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial Hospital, Kalwa, after they complained of food poisoning symptoms after consuming the midday meal served at at school on Thursday.
Local activists shared images claiming a dead lizard had been found in a utensil in which the lunch was served. They alleged it was the possible cause of the food poisoning even as municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao stated that a detailed investigation has been launched, and the Food & Drug Administration has collected samples of the allegedly contaminated food. Gajanan Godhepure, deputy municipal commissioner, said a show-cause notice has been issued to the contractor, Adarsh Mahila Mandal, a women's self-help group.
Read More: Nutrient-rich meals for govt schoolkids with local ingredientsThe incident was reported around 2 pm after students from the morning batch started complaining of nausea and abdominal pain after consuming khichdi served for lunch. Initially, 24 students of classes V to VIII complained of uneasiness, after which a team of paediatric experts from Kalwa CSMM Hospital rushed to the school and checked around 100 students, of which 41, along with a teaching staff member, were referred for admission, said Dr Rakesh Barot, Dean at CSMM Hospital, Kalwa.
Rohidas Munde, a functionary of Shiv Sena UBT, Diva, blamed the administration and demanded stern action against the contractor and the civic officials. A case was being registered against the contractor by police
This is the second such incident in recent times. Last month, 42 students of Sahyadri School, Kalwa, complained of food poisoning after consuming the midday meal.
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