Odisha: 80 students fall ill after taking mid-day meal in 5 villages

Bhawanipatna: More than 80 students of five schools fell ill allegedly after eating mid-day meal in Kalahandi district, officials said today.

The students of schools at Luma, Kubri, Bandhpari, Ranjendrapur and Dangri villages under Lanjigarh block complained vomiting, nausea and stomach pain after eating the meal yesterday, they said.

The affected students were taken to the government hospital at Biswanathpur and two of them were referred to the Bhawanipatna government Hospital.

The mid day meal for 176 schools of Lanjigarh block is prepared and supplied by a trust, they said adding the cooked food is sent to different schools by vehicles.

The district education officer (DEO), sub-collector and tahasildar visited Biswanathpur to monitor the situation.

DEO Pradip Kumar Naik said more than 80 students of five schools had been affected and provided with medical treatment in hospital and many of them already discharged from hospital after treatment.

He aids the situation was under control and the affected students were recovering fast.

Kalahandi Collector Anjan kumar Manik said that the cause of illness would be ascertained after an enquiry which was in progress.