78 Students Given Anti-Rabies Injection After Dog Contaminates Mid-Day Meal In Chhattisgarh

Despite teachers' warnings, the self-help group serving the meal insisted it was safe. Parents, alarmed by their children's accounts, demanded action, leading to vaccinations and an official investigation

At least 78 students received rabies vaccines after consuming school lunch contaminated by a stray dog in Chhattisgarh.

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A total of 78 students from a government-run school in Chhattisgarh's Balodabazar district were given anti-rabies vaccines after reportedly consuming food contaminated by a stray dog.

The incident occurred on July 29 at the Government Middle School in Lachchhanpur village, under the Palari block, raising serious questions about hygiene and accountability in the state-run mid-day meal programme.

As per the officials,  a stray dog came into contact with cooked vegetables intended for the students’ lunch. Some children noticed the contamination and informed teachers, who reportedly instructed the self-help group (SHG) responsible for preparing the food not to serve it. 

However, the group allegedly ignored the directive, insisting the food was safe, reported PTI. 

Despite the warning, the meal was served to at least 84 students.

Once the children returned home and recounted the incident, concerned parents and villagers rushed to the school, demanding answers from the administration. Among them was Jhalendra Sahu, chairperson of the school management committee (SMC), who joined others in calling for the SHG’s immediate removal for disregarding the cautionary order.

“The food should not have been served. It’s a matter of our children’s health,” said Umashankar Sahu, father of one of the students.

Parents then took the affected children to the nearby Lachchhanpur health centre, where 78 of them were given precautionary anti-rabies injections.

“There were no confirmed infections, and the vaccine was given purely as a preventive measure. The first dose has no side effects,” explained Veena Verma, the health centre’s in-charge. “It was done at the insistence of parents, villagers and the school committee.”

The incident triggered an official probe. On Saturday, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Deepak Nikunj and Block Education Officer Naresh Verma visited the school along with other officials to investigate. They recorded statements from students, teachers, parents and SMC members. However, members of the SHG failed to appear during the inquiry, officials said.

Meanwhile, the matter reached the state’s political corridors. Local MLA Sandeep Sahu has written to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, demanding a thorough investigation and action against those responsible. He also sought clarity on the decision-making process behind administering anti-rabies vaccines to the students.