Chhattisgarh School Shocker: Headmaster Suspended After Video Shows Students Washing Mid-Day Meal Utensils in Dirty Canal Water

Nitin Trivedi — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:33:33 +0530

A deeply disturbing video from a government school in Surajpur district of Chhattisgarh has triggered swift administrative action after it went viral on social media. The footage shows young students being made to wash mid-day meal utensils using dirty drain water from a canal — a practice that poses serious health risks and is a gross violation of the hygiene standards mandated for government school meal programmes. The headmaster of the school has been suspended with immediate effect, two assistant teachers have had their salary increments frozen, and two cluster principals have been issued show-cause notices demanding an explanation.

What the Viral Video Shows

The incident involves Government Middle School, Ambedkar Para, Devipur in Surajpur district. The viral video, which spread rapidly across social media platforms on March 14, clearly shows school students crouched near a canal, scrubbing the plates and utensils used for mid-day meals using the canal's dirty water rather than clean water. The footage shocked viewers across the state and drew immediate attention from education department officials.

The mid-day meal scheme is a centrally funded programme designed to provide nutritious cooked meals to crores of school children across India every day. Strict hygiene guidelines govern the cooking, serving, and cleaning of utensils used in the programme. Making children wash food utensils in stagnant or dirty drain water is not only a health hazard but a direct violation of those norms.

Headmaster Suspended, Teachers Penalised

District Education Officer Ajay Mishra responded to the viral video with immediate action. Headmaster Maria Goretti of the concerned school was suspended with immediate effect following the circulation of the footage. The suspension order was issued on March 14, the same day the video went viral — reflecting the urgency with which the department moved to address the matter.

Two assistant teachers from the school — Premlata Pandey and Jiteshwari — have had their annual salary increments stopped as a direct consequence of their failure to prevent or report the practice. Additionally, two cluster-level principals have been issued show-cause notices asking them to explain why appropriate oversight was not exercised over the school and why the unhygienic practice was allowed to continue unchecked.

A Systemic Failure of Oversight

The incident raises serious questions not just about one school but about the broader monitoring of mid-day meal hygiene standards across government schools in Chhattisgarh. The fact that students were being made to wash utensils in canal water — a practice that could not have started overnight — points to a prolonged failure at multiple levels of supervision.

Clean drinking water access, proper washing facilities, and trained cooks are basic requirements under the mid-day meal programme. When these fundamentals are absent or ignored, the children who depend on the scheme for their only hot meal of the day are put directly at risk.

Action Underway

The education department has confirmed that further investigation into the matter is ongoing. The show-cause notices issued to the two cluster principals require written responses within a stipulated timeframe. Authorities have indicated that action will be taken based on the replies received and the findings of the departmental inquiry currently being conducted.

Newborn's Body Found in Drain Behind Durg District Hospital's Mother and Child Unit, Police Launch Investigation

Nitin Trivedi — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:33:25 +0530

A deeply disturbing discovery has shaken Durg district in Chhattisgarh after a newborn's body was found floating in a drain directly behind the Maternity and Child Health Unit of Durg District Hospital. The body was spotted on Saturday morning by a woman who collects garbage in the area, and police have launched an investigation to determine how the infant ended up in the drain and whether it was alive at the time of birth.

Garbage Picker Makes the Grim Discovery

The incident came to light on Saturday when a woman who makes her living collecting garbage near the hospital premises noticed something unusual floating in the drain behind the hospital's Mother and Child Unit. On moving closer to investigate, she discovered the body of a newborn infant.

She immediately informed people in the surrounding area, who wasted no time in alerting the police. Durg City Kotwali police arrived at the scene promptly, retrieved the body from the drain, and took it into their custody. The body has since been placed in the hospital mortuary, with postmortem scheduled to be conducted by the health department team on Sunday. The actual cause of the infant's death will only become clear once the postmortem report is available.

Six-Month Foetus With Developed Body

According to locals who gathered at the scene, the body of the infant appeared to be that of approximately a six-month-old foetus, with a significantly developed physical form. The discovery drew a large crowd in and around the hospital premises, with residents expressing deep shock and outrage over the incident.

It has not yet been established whether the infant was born alive or was stillborn at the time it entered the drain.

Police Suspect Newborn Was Dumped After Delivery

The location where the body was found has become central to the police's working theory. The drain runs directly behind the Maternity and Child Wing of Durg District Hospital — one of the primary facilities in the district where deliveries take place daily. Police suspect that someone disposed of the newborn in the drain shortly after delivery, given the proximity of the discovery site to the hospital's maternity unit.

Durg City Kotwali police are currently examining CCTV footage from cameras installed in and around the hospital premises to trace any movement that could explain how the body reached the drain. Hospital staff are also being questioned as part of the initial investigation to establish a clear timeline of events.

Investigation Underway

All conclusions remain tentative pending the postmortem report. Police have not yet named any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the case. The health department is expected to conduct the postmortem on Sunday, after which investigators will have a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding the infant's death.

The case has prompted fresh questions about surveillance, accountability, and monitoring within the hospital's maternity wing — particularly regarding what happens after deliveries and whether the existing CCTV infrastructure is sufficient to cover the areas immediately surrounding the facility.

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