RAIPUR: An FIR was lodged against the women’s hostel of a private college in Durg district of Chhattisgarh after a 19-year-old student died of food poisoning and 55 others were taken ill. The initial inspection brought forth poor quality of food, contaminated drinking water being served under extremely unhygienic conditions in hostel’s dining and cooking areas. The samples were collected and sent to labs for testing.
The incident took place in Ved Hostel of Rastogi College in Supela region of Bhilai and an FIR was lodged against its director Shashank Rastogi and hostel in charge Manik Lal Rathore, based on complaint registered by chief medical officer.
Calling it a severe case of mismanagement, Durg district collector Pushpendra Meena told TOI, "After the death of a 19-year-old girl student was reported in the hostel of a private college and an inquiry was ordered in the matter finding 55 ailing girl students needing hospital treatment. When a team went to the spot for investigation, a lot of mismanagement was found in the college and hostel. Girl students complained of irregular classes, poor food quality and water filter defunct for past several months. The hostel was serving contaminated water to students under unhygienic conditions."
The collector said that the condition of 51 girls under treatment is stated to be stable and out of danger.
A team of chief medical and health officer, district surveillance officer, epidemiologist, medicine specialist had gone to inspect the hostel.
The deceased student of skill development training courses, identified as Kamini Churendra, was admitted to a hospital in neighbouring Rajnandgaon district symptoms of food poisoning and she died on Sunday during the treatment, officials said. She was a resident ofBalod district and was taken ill on July 29.
The report submitted to the collector states that as per hostel warden Rukmani Yadav, the food comes from a mess that also delivers food to several other hostels and institutions but there was no complain of food poisoning in any other hostel. It appears that the contaminated water is the cause of illness and fatality of the girl. The water sample collected from water tanks, cooler machines was sent to PhE department for clinical test and the report is awaited.
Nearly 200 girls are residing at this hostel and despite continuous complains made by the girls, the hostel management didn’t pay heed and continued with the negligence.
Sources said that the sight of dining and cooking area was unhygienic in the mid of open drainage.
FIR was registered under sections of IPC for causing death by negligence, and other sections of negligence causing spread of life-threatening diseases.
