The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has fined PP Savani International School ₹1 lakh after 85 hostel students fell ill following dinner on Saturday.
Around 2,200 students living in the hostel had dinner that evening. Soon after, 85 students complained of abdominal pain and vomiting and were taken to PP Savani Hospital.
Of these, 73 students with mild symptoms were treated as outpatients, while 12 were admitted for observation and treatment. The 12 students, including nine girls and three boys aged 15 to 18, were later discharged, officials said.
The SMC’s mobile medical team coordinated with the hospital, while an outpatient facility was also arranged at the hostel for students reporting discomfort.
On September 13, SMC health officials inspected the hostel canteen kitchen and checked food quality, raw materials, cleanliness and hygiene practices. A food sample was collected and sent for laboratory testing.
The civic body also issued a notice to the school for allegedly failing to inform the health department about the incident. It recovered ₹1 lakh as administrative charges and also penalised the mess operator, RS Corporation.
Following the incident, the SMC intensified food safety inspections across Surat. On September 14 and 15, health teams inspected 200 hotels, restaurants and dhabas, issued 11 notices, destroyed 243.3 kg of unsafe food and collected ₹3.23 lakh in fines.