Activists have demanded urgent actions, including building secure compounds, improving medical access, and enhancing child safety infrastructure, to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future
Published Jan 01, 2025 | 7:24 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 02, 2025 | 10:11 AM
Five-year-old Anganwadi student dies from snakebite, sparking outrage over safety negligence (Wikimedia Commons)
The tragic death of five-year-old Mayuri Suresh Kumbaleppanavar, an Anganwadi student from Marikamba city in Karnataka, has raised serious concerns about safety standards and infrastructure at government-run childcare centres.
Mayuri, who was attending the Anganwadi, died after being bitten by a snake on Wednesday, 1 January. The incident has sparked a public outrage, and a demand has been made for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the girl’s death.
Local leaders have expressed alarm over several issues that they believe contributed to the tragedy:
Several organisations in Mundgod taluk have demanded an investigation into Mayuri’s death. A petition, submitted through the Janaspoorthi Women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) Trust to the Tahsildar, called for a thorough inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the child’s tragic death.
Mayuri was initially taken to the local government hospital for treatment. However, local organisations accused the hospital’s head of negligence, citing a two-hour delay in treatment and failure to administer basic first aid.
The hospital staff allegedly insisted that Mayuri be transferred to KMC Hospital without providing any immediate care. Activists questioned the non-availability of life-saving treatments for snakebites at the government hospital and whether staff were adequately trained to handle such emergencies.
Mahalakshmi Naik of the Janaspoorthi Trust expressed concern, saying, “We have requested an investigation into whether life-saving drugs for snake bites were available at the hospital and if the medical staff were equipped to handle such cases.”
Further, organisations have held the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) and the Anganwadi supervisor accountable for the unsafe conditions at the Anganwadi. The groups claimed that children were not allowed to use the Anganwadi’s toilet facilities and were instead forced to relieve themselves in nearby fields, where Mayuri was bitten by the snake. They are demanding action on this matter as well.
Tanveer Mirjanakar, President of Taluka Yuva Vedike, Mundgod, stated, “The Anganwadi lacked a compound wall and was situated next to fields, posing significant safety risks to over 40 children. The Bal Vikas Samiti (BVS) and Anganwadi supervisors failed to take necessary steps to ensure the safety of the children.”
A memorandum demanding improvements in basic facilities at Anganwadis was also submitted to the Minister of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka, on 23 August 2024, following a study on Anganwadi conditions across five districts, including Uttar Kannada. The petitioners have urged the Karnataka government to implement the recommendations outlined in the study report.
More than 200 people, including Mayuri’s parents, local residents, members of self-help groups, youth organisations, and other community groups, gathered outside the Tahsildar’s office and Taluka Hospital to protest against the violations. They demanded swift action and accountability from authorities to prevent such tragedies in the future.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
