Patna : Nearly 200 schoolchildren in Bihar’s Mokama block fell ill on Wednesday after consuming a contaminated mid-day meal at a government-run school, with reports alleging that a snake was found in the food.
The incident occurred at the Upgraded Middle School in Mekra village, approximately 90 kilometres from the state capital, Patna. According to students, a dead snake fell into a food tray during lunchtime. Despite the alarming discovery, the school cook reportedly removed the snake and continued serving the same food to the children.
Some students claimed that those who refused to eat the food were threatened. “The cook told us if we didn’t eat, we would be beaten,” one student said. Eyewitnesses reported that after consuming the meal, children began vomiting and fainting in large numbers. Local residents rushed the affected students to nearby health centres as panic spread across the village.
In total, around 400 students had been served lunch that day, authorities said. Following the incident, school staff reportedly locked the premises and fled. The police have since launched an investigation, and education department officials have been alerted.
“There was one child whose condition was critical, but they are now stable,” said Dr Pankaj Kumar, one of the attending physicians. “All the children are out of danger and under observation.”
The case has sparked outrage among parents and villagers, who are demanding strict action against the school authorities. The incident also raises serious questions about the oversight and safety standards of India’s mid-day meal scheme, a programme that provides free lunches to over 100 million children nationwide.
This is not the first time the scheme has come under scrutiny. Despite senior education officials, including Bihar’s Additional Chief Secretary for Education S Siddharth, making periodic surprise inspections, reports of negligence and poor hygiene in food preparation persist.
