Bihar school meal poisoning incident

Bihar School Meal Poisoning Incident refers to a tragic event that occurred on July 16, 2013, in the village of Dharmasati Gandaman, Bihar, India. The incident involved the death of 23 children and illness of over 47 others after consuming a contaminated mid-day meal at a local primary school. The incident is considered one of the worst cases of mass food poisoning in India.

Background

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is a school meal programme of the Government of India designed to improve the nutritional status of school-age children nationwide. The scheme provides free lunches on working days for children in primary and upper primary classes in government, government aided, local body, Education Guarantee Scheme, and alternate innovative education centres, Madarsa and Maqtabs supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and National Child Labour Project schools run by the ministry of labour.

Incident

On July 16, 2013, a batch of school meals was prepared with an organophosphate pesticide, monocrotophos, which is highly toxic. The children started showing symptoms of food poisoning – vomiting, severe stomach aches, and convulsions – within 20 minutes of eating the meal. The meal consisted of rice, soybean, and pulses, which were later found to be contaminated with the pesticide. The food was cooked in the school kitchen.

Aftermath

The incident led to widespread protests and an investigation was launched by the Bihar government. The principal of the school, who was also the wife of the grocery shop owner from where the contaminated oil was allegedly purchased, was arrested. The incident highlighted the poor quality of food and lack of hygiene in the preparation of meals under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in Bihar.

Impact

The Bihar School Meal Poisoning Incident led to a nationwide discussion on the safety and quality of food served under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. It prompted the Indian government to review and improve the safety measures and quality checks in place for the scheme. The incident also led to increased awareness about the dangers of pesticides and the importance of food safety.

See also

• Food safety
• Mid-Day Meal Scheme
• Foodborne illness
• Pesticide poisoning

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