Mangaluru: A fresh survey has revealed that 225 government schools in Dakshina Kannada district urgently require new kitchens for preparing midday meals, as their existing facilities have fallen into disrepair. The crisis is not confined to the coastal region but extends across Karnataka, where more than 8,500 school kitchens have been deemed unfit for use.

Statewide survey reveals crisis

The issue came to light after the Department of School Education and Literacy directed all deputy directors and block education officers in December last year to survey cooking rooms in government and aided schools. The results were alarming: 8,533 kitchens were found unfit for further use.

In January, the then Principal Secretary of the department issued instructions to the Chief Executive Officers of zilla panchayats to take up the construction of new kitchens under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department also gave its approval and released separate guidelines.

Slow progress despite approval

Despite these directives, progress has been slow. Nearly eight months later, fewer than 500 kitchens have been repaired or rebuilt across the state, according to education department sources. Head teachers allege that district administrations have failed to prioritise the construction work, leaving schools struggling to ensure hygienic preparation of meals.

The department is now preparing to issue fresh reminders to all districts, warning officials against further delay in implementing the orders.

Importance of school kitchens

Across Karnataka’s 46,000-plus government and aided schools, nearly 48 lakh students from classes 1 to 10 benefit from the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme (midday meal scheme).

While several urban schools rely on organisations such as ISKCON and Adamya Chetana to supply meals, most rural schools are entirely dependent on on-site cooking facilities. Officials stressed that proper kitchens are vital not only for preparing food safely but also for storing grains, maintaining cooking gas cylinders, and keeping vessels clean.

District-wise demand

The district-wise breakdown shows the scale of the problem. Chitradurga district leads with 631 schools requiring new kitchens, followed by Mysuru (443), Chikkodi (416), Vijayapura (415), Mandya (411), Belagavi (382), Kolar (370), Madhugiri (362), Tumakuru (346), Kalaburagi (338), Shivamogga (333), Chikkamagaluru (297), Chikkaballapur (285), Koppal (280), Sirsi (259), Haveri (260), and Davangere (245).

Dakshina Kannada has 225 schools on the list, while in other districts, the number of unusable kitchens ranges between 11 and 200.

Conclusion

With midday meals serving as a lifeline for lakhs of children across the state, the delay in constructing new kitchens has raised concerns about food safety and student health. Unless the government expedites action, thousands of students, particularly in rural areas, will continue to face the risks associated with unhygienic cooking conditions.