Govt pushes new school kitchen design for hygienic midday meal

Jolted by mismanagement at the Chhapra school where 23 children died after eating midday meal,the Union HRD Ministry has asked all schools

Jolted by mismanagement at the Chhapra school where 23 children died after eating midday meal,the Union HRD Ministry has asked all schools to switch to new design and hygienic kitchen-cum-stores as well as develop contingency plans to handle medical emergencies of the kind witnessed in the Gandamal village school.

The ministry has asked the states to set up kitchen-cum-stores at all schools serving midday meals. These kitchens,the ministry has said,must be based on the Centrally approved new,safe and hygiene friendly design,complete with safe foodgrain storage containers,rodent-proof storage with shutters,separate utensil wash and hand wash areas,serving counters and drinking water dispensers. The design prototype has been developed by Delhi-based Centre for Architectural Research & Design,and has been circulated to all states. Nine states,including Bihar,are lagging behind in the construction of mandatory kitchen-cum-store. All the 9-10 lakh new kitchens to be constructed are to be based on the prototype.

In the Chhapra incident,food items were stored not at the schools kitchen but at the principals house in violation of guidelines.

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The new kitchen-cum-store,to be funded by the Centre,mandates that its size should be in proportion to enrolment of children in the school for 100 children provision of 20 sq m of built up area and for every additional 100 children provisions for additional 4 sq m. The design makes storage,wash,preparatory,cooking,serving areas mandatory,with scope for expansion. Pest-proof fixtures,smokeless chulhas,solar cookers,and adequate ventilation have also been recommended.

Issuing a fresh set of guidelines on July 22,the ministry has asked states to ensure quality,safety and hygiene under the MDM scheme,create new kitchen-cum-stores,ensure prior tasting of meal by teachers,and social audits.

Additional Secretary Amarjit Singh who had rushed to Chhapra soon after the incident has in his report said that there were systemic failures and storage issues. With infrastructure and hygiene ignored,there are instances of diarrhoea and infections in children,but there is no proper plan for medical aid. Each district must identify hospitals,clinics in relation to schools in their areas. Schools will be asked to stock medicines and first aid, he said.