Kolkata, March 5 – Around 15 children fell ill at an Anganwadi center in West Bengal on Thursday after a dead lizard was allegedly found in the cooked food served there.
The incident took place at the Nagendrapur Uttarpara ICDS center in Raidighi in South 24 Parganas district. All the 15 children who reportedly fell ill after consuming the contaminated food were admitted to Raidighi Rural Hospital.
According to local sources, lunch was being served to the children at the ICDS center when the incident came to light. Allegedly, a dead lizard was first noticed on a child's plate. However, by that time several children had already eaten the food.
Within a short time, a number of children began complaining of stomach pain and discomfort. Soon afterwards, some of them also started vomiting.
As news of the incident spread in the locality, parents rushed to the ICDS center and panic gripped the area. Meanwhile, the number of children being brought to Raidighi Rural Hospital for treatment began to increase gradually.
Raidighi Trinamool Congress MLA Aloke Jaldata reached the hospital soon after receiving information about the incident. Jaldata, who is a doctor by profession, enquired about the health condition of the children and also supervised the treatment being provided to them.
Following instructions from the MLA, a special team of medical officers was sent to the area to assess the situation.
“The situation in the area is being monitored. We are also keeping watch to see if anyone else falls sick. Two ambulances are being kept ready in case of any emergency,” the MLA said.
He also asked officials of the district administration to immediately look into the matter and take necessary action.
The block administration has been directed to conduct a detailed investigation into how the dead lizard entered the cooked food served at the center.
Meanwhile, angry parents of the affected children staged protests over the incident and demanded the removal of the cook responsible for preparing the meal.
They alleged that the lives of the children had been put at risk due to negligence in food preparation at the center.
According to hospital sources, the children who fell ill have been kept under observation for the time being. However, their condition is reported to be stable.
