26 Delhi school kids hospitalised after midday meal
New Delhi, July 11: As many as 26 students of a government school in north Delhi were hospitalised after having their midday meal, prompting the Arvind Kejriwal government to order an inspection of all midday meal kitchens in the city.
Police registered an FIR after a formal complaint from the school authorities.
A police officer said that the 26 students of Classes 6 to 8 fell sick after the meal in Narela area around 10.30 a.m. They were rushed to the Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital.
"The complained of abdominal pain, headache, dizziness and vomiting. We have initiated an inquiry to find out if it was due to negligence of the school or food caterer."
As the children's condition improved after a few hours, they were discharged, except a girl Payal who found a lizard in her meal, he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio, ordered an inspection of all midday meal kitchens and warned of strict action, including termination of contract and suspension of officials, in case of negligence.
"It is a serious matter. Officials have been told to inspect all kitchens over the next week and take strict action if any irregularity is found. All stakeholders will have to get their act together. Otherwise, they may face suspension," he said.
Sisodia said that the Education Department officials will hold a meeting with those responsible for the midday meal scheme on Thursday.
Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam visited the students at the hospital and said all of them were doing fine. "They had complained of pain and difficulty in breathing," he said.
"We will not tolerate any negligence. We will take strict action against the supplier. It is unfortunate that even after repeated warnings, such incidents are recurring," he said.
Last week, two girls were hospitalised after a midday meal in their school run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The vendor was booked on a complaint by the Principal.
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3.3 magnitude tremor hits Kutch in Gujarat; no casualty
Ahmedabad (PTI): A tremor of 3.3 magnitude hit Gujarat's Kutch district on Monday morning, the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said.
No casualty or loss of property was reported in the district due to the seismic activity, officials said.
The tremor was recorded at 10.05 am, with its epicentre located 12 km west-south west of Rapar, the Gandhinagar-based ISR said.
This is the fourth tremor of more than 3 magnitude recorded in the state's Saurashtra-Kutch region so far this month, the ISR data showed.
Earthquake risk is very high in Gujarat. It has suffered nine major earthquakes in the past 200 years, as per information provided by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA).
The 2001 Kutch earthquake was the third largest and second most destructive earthquake in India over the last two centuries, it said.
On January 26 in 2001, Gujarat was struck by an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude with its epicentre located near Bhachau in Kutch that affected the entire state.
The quake had left nearly 13,800 people dead and another 1.67 lakh injured, as per the information provided by the GSDMA.
