MOKAMA, India — In a small town in Bihar, a school lunch turned into a nightmare. On April 16, over 100 children at a government-run middle school in Mokama fell violently ill after eating a mid-day meal. The culprit? A dead snake, allegedly found in the pot of food served to nearly 500 students. The incident has sparked outrage, investigations, and a grim spotlight on India’s school meal program.
The chaos unfolded at the Marwari Middle School, where kids aged 6 to 14 were tucking into their daily meal of rice, lentils, and vegetables. According to officials, a cook spotted a small, dead snake in the cooking pot. Instead of tossing the food, he reportedly fished out the snake and kept serving. Within hours, children started clutching their stomachs, vomiting, and fainting. Panicked teachers rushed them to nearby hospitals, where doctors treated symptoms of food poisoning—nausea, diarrhea, and dehydration. By evening, 110 kids were under medical care, though none were in critical condition.
Local authorities acted fast. The district magistrate shut down the school’s meal program and launched a probe. Police filed a case against the cook and the meal supplier, a local NGO, for negligence. Samples of the food were sent for lab testing to confirm whether the snake or something else caused the mass illness. Early reports suggest the snake was non-venomous, but contamination from its presence—or poor hygiene in the kitchen—remains a likely trigger.
Parents are furious. Many stormed the school, demanding answers. One father, a daily-wage laborer, told reporters his daughter was still too weak to walk days later. The incident has reignited scrutiny of India’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme, a massive program feeding millions of schoolkids daily. While it’s credited with boosting attendance, lapses in hygiene and oversight have led to past scandals—rats in food, expired ingredients, and now this.
The National Human Rights Commission stepped in on April 18, ordering a detailed investigation. They’ve asked Bihar’s government for a report within weeks, focusing on food safety protocols and accountability. Meanwhile, the state education department suspended the school’s headmaster and promised stricter inspections across the region.
As of April 20, most children were discharged from hospitals, but the community remains shaken. The lab results are still pending, and the cook’s claim that he removed the snake before serving is under scrutiny. For now, parents in Mokama are packing lunches at home, and trust in the system is in tatters.
The investigation continues, with officials vowing to hold those responsible accountable.