MP students forced to wash utensils with dirty water

Sagar, Aug 27 (IANS) Students of a Madhya Pradesh primary school in the Makroniya area of the Sagar district are forced to wash their mid-day meal plates in a pit of dirty water.These children, aged below 11 years, are enrolled in Class I to V. They are provided mid-day meal at the school. But as the school lacks facility to wash plates, children has been asked to clean utensils with dirty water of a nearby pit. While the school administration refused to make a comment on the issue, local residents said washing utensils with dirty water would severely affect children's health. When H.P. Kurmi, Education Department Project Officer, was questioned about it, he said, "The matter has come to my notice. We'll take strong action and the guilty will not be spared." According to sources, mid-day meal is being provided by self-help groups and they too are equally responsible for this.
--IANS hindi-rs/pcj