Karnataka: Children wash midday meal plates beside a drain in Bagalkot school, photo goes viral
Parents and members of the public have slammed the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) and teachers, questioning how children can be expected to maintain hygiene when no suitable infrastructure is provided.
One disturbing photo from a government primary school in Alabal village of Jamkhandi taluk, Bagalkot district of Karnataka has gone viral in which students were seen washing mid-day meal plates near a drain. This has triggered widespread outrage across the state as the image showed young children washing their midday meal plates using pipe water beside an open drain, raising serious concerns about hygiene and child safety.
Despite repeated claims of improvements in government schools as part of various schemes, the current case highlights the grim reality faced by students in rural areas, where even basic sanitation facilities remain unavailable.
Incident exposes gross negligence of state govt
Moreover, the incident has exposed the gross negligence of the Education Department, with the absence of proper drinking water and hand-washing facilities cited as the primary reason for the situation.
After the photo went viral, Jamalhandi BEO Ashok K Basan said," Negligence of the headmaster of the school has been found. We have already written to the Gram Panchayat to fix the open drain." The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has taken cognisance of the incident and registered a complaint.
Parents slam School Development for the incident
Parents and members of the public have slammed the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) and teachers, questioning how children can be expected to maintain hygiene when no suitable infrastructure is provided.
The matter came to limelight after Shivalinga Ninganur shared the photograph on his Facebook account, drawing attention to the shocking conditions at the school.
The viral photo prompted hundreds of reactions and critical comments from concerned citizens with many expressing fears that children standing near sewage water could suffer from infections and other serious health issues.