Food poisoning instances: Credibility of Ashram schools in erstwhile Adilabad at stake

The schools are registering food-poisoning incidents at regular intervals

Adilabad: Once known for quality education and food for tribal communities, Ashram schools, run by the Tribal Welfare department, are slowly losing their credibility with food poisoning incidents at regular intervals, exposing lapses in management of these institutions.

As many as 133 Ashram schools are being operated by the Tribal Welfare department, covering over 33,000 students in erstwhile Adilabad district. While 54 schools are located in Adilabad district, Kumram Bheem Asifabad district accounts for 46 schools. Both Nirmal and Mancherial districts have 17 and 16, respectively. The schools are registering food-poisoning incidents at regular intervals.

---

Sixty students belonging to an Ashram school fell ill after having dinner in Wankidi mandal centre on Wednesday night. Medical condition of a student, Shailaja, was learnt to be battling for life, while two other students managed to recover after undergoing treatment at private hospitals in Kaghaznagar and Mancherial towns.

On October 26, Madavi Gangothri (11), a Class IX student of another Ashram school was admitted to a primary health centre in Indervelli after taking food at a hostel of the institution. She died while being shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS)-Adilabad. 51 inmates of Ashram school-Wankidi fell ill after consuming contaminated food at their hostel in 2018.

According to officials, erstwhile Adilabad is seeing deaths of at least five students studying in these Ashram schools due to either food poisoning or health problems including fever per annum. Wardens are reportedly showing laxity in managing the schools, while higher officials of the Tribal Welfare department are not inspecting the institutions.

“Wardens are not staying in these hostels. They are administering the facilities from towns. They are not ensuring hygiene in kitchens, while fresh vegetables and purified water are not used to prepare food. The officials are not conducting surprise visits to these hostels and schools monthly once, indicating their apathy in managing these institutions,” a retired warden opined.

Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA)-Utnoor project officer Khusbu Gupta told ‘Telangana Today’ that instructions were given to ensure prevention of outside food in bags of inmates, to taste food served at the hostels by wardens and to inspect a school monthly at least once and to visit warehouses of GCC (Girijan Cooperative Corporation) which supply ingredients to the hostels. Drinking water plants and kitchens are being checked during inspections. The students are undergoing anaemia tests every month.

Ashram schools in erstwhile Adilabad district: 133

Adilabad: 54

Kumram Bheem 46

Nirmal: 17

Adilabad:16

Students: 33,000