Around 120 students from a government school in Trilokpuri, East Delhi, fell ill on Wednesday, reportedly after eating the midday meal served in the school.

According to Education department officials, students of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Trilokpuri’s Block 20, complained of stomach ache and nausea after eating the daal-chawal provided to them as part of the midday meal at 11.45 am.

The officials said 114 students were taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in Mayur Vihar and six others to Hedgewar Arogya Sansthan at Karkardooma.

“Most of the students complained of nausea and stomach ache and have been discharged after initial examination. Six or seven students are still in the hospital, but no one is critical and they might be discharged by tomorrow,” said P Krishnamurty, Director, Education department.

The contract for providing food for midday meals was awarded to an NGO, Raghuveer Singh Sewa Samiti, in September.

“The food samples have been sent by the SDM for investigation and we have currently suspended the licence of the contractor,” he said

The teachers took the first group of children complaining of illness to the hospital in their cars and later ambulances were called in by school authorities, an official said.

Later in the afternoon, angry relatives of the students protested outside the hospital, demanding that a case be lodged against the headmaster, teachers and officials involved in distributing the food. Till late evening some students were complaining of dizziness and stomach ache, relatives said

“I ate two spoonfuls, and began to feel unwell soon afterwards. I was rushed to the hospital by a teacher in her car,” said Gayatri, a student of Class VIII, admitted to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.

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