'No Warden, Girls Sleeping On Floor': Gadchiroli Snakebite Deaths Trigger Maharashtra-Wide Audit

Three tribal girls, including an eight-year-old, died after a venomous snake bit six students sleeping on the floor of a government-aided residential school hostel in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. The state will conduct a third-party audit of around 511 aided tribal residential schools across Maharashtra.

The deaths of three tribal girls after a venomous snake entered a residential school hostel in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district have triggered a major government response, including the permanent cancellation of the institution’s licence and the suspension of officials responsible for monitoring it. The girls were among six students bitten while sleeping on the floor of the hostel at Japtalai village in Dhanora taluka. The incident took place around midnight on Sunday. Three girls died, including an eight-year-old, while the other three were undergoing treatment.

Gadchiroli, Maharashtra: A serious snakebite incident came to light on the morning of 10th August 2026 at the ashram school in Japtai, Dhanora taluka. After six female students at the ashram school were bitten by a snake and their condition deteriorated, they were first taken to… pic.twitter.com/K3sjI6w2GV

— IANS (@ians_india) August 10, 2026

आश्रमशाळेतल्या विद्यार्थिनींना सर्पदंश, तीन मुलींचा मृत्यू, गडचिरोलीतली घटना #Gadchiroli pic.twitter.com/HnvgokQ9gg

— BBC News Marathi (@bbcnewsmarathi) August 10, 2026

#गडचिरोली:
धानोरा तालुक्यातील जपतलई येथील अनुदानित आश्रमशाळेत सर्पदंश झालेल्या कुमारी दीपिका बिलकुरासाय मडावी (वय 11 वर्षे) हिला पुढील उपचारासाठी जिल्हा प्रशासनाने तातडीने एअरलिफ्ट करून हेलिकॉप्टरद्वारे नागपूर येथील शासकीय वैद्यकीय महाविद्यालय व रुग्णालयात हलविले आहे.#Gadchiroli pic.twitter.com/IZGISSDOXU

— आकाशवाणी बातम्या नागपूर (@airnews_nagpur) August 10, 2026

The tragedy has also raised serious questions about the safety and supervision of government-aided residential schools for tribal children across Maharashtra.

6 of 50 girls were bitten

According to officials, around 50 girls were sleeping on the hostel floor when the venomous snake entered the premises. Six girls were bitten.

The absence of a warden at the time of the incident has become one of the key concerns raised by the state government. The hostel, located around 10 km from Dhanora, was reportedly functioning without basic facilities, including adequate staff. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the institution had neither teachers nor a warden despite receiving government grants.

Three young girls lost their lives, one remains in critical condition, and two others are seriously ill after a venomous snake allegedly crawled into a hostel dorm room in Gadchiroli district during the early hours of Monday.

An additional 14 students are currently under medical… pic.twitter.com/INAvNx3SDl

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The school is run by former Congress minister and former MP Marotrao Kowase and has reportedly been operating since 1992.

The incident has raised questions over how such a facility was allowed to continue operating despite its reported shortcomings.

School licence cancelled permanently

Following the deaths, Fadnavis ordered the permanent cancellation of the residential school’s licence on Tuesday.

He also ordered the suspension of the official who had recently inspected the institution and submitted a favourable report despite the deficiencies found there.

The supervisor responsible for visiting the school once a month will also be suspended, Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike said. The supervisor has been accused of failing to record the poor condition of the institution in the visit book.

Uike said the government would conduct a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The chief minister has also asked officials to ensure that inspections of tribal residential schools cover institutions in remote and interior areas rather than focusing mainly on schools located along major roads.

Audit ordered for 511 tribal schools

The government has decided to conduct a third-party audit of around 511 aided tribal residential schools across Maharashtra.

The decision is aimed at examining whether these institutions are providing children with safe accommodation and basic facilities.

Fadnavis has asked the chief secretary to convene a meeting and establish a comprehensive inspection mechanism for ashram schools across the state.

The proposed audit is expected to look beyond paperwork and assess the actual conditions in which tribal children are living.

The Gadchiroli incident has highlighted concerns about accommodation, staffing, supervision and the ability of schools in remote areas to respond to emergencies.

Opposition questions government oversight

The incident has drawn strong criticism from the Opposition, with leaders questioning not only the management of the school but also the government's monitoring system.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that several tribal residential schools in Gadchiroli, Nandurbar and Chandrapur were in poor condition. He claimed that snake and scorpion bites were a recurring problem at some institutions and alleged that some deaths had gone unrecorded.

Raut also linked the situation to mining and environmental degradation in Gadchiroli. He alleged that deforestation, pollution and displacement had pushed wild animals closer to villages and schools.

During a media interaction in New Delhi, Raut made a controversial remark, saying snakes and scorpions should be released at ministers’ residences so they could understand the fear faced by tribal children.

He also targeted Fadnavis, who is the guardian minister of Gadchiroli, and demanded that ministers responsible for tribal welfare consider resigning on moral grounds.

Congress alleges administrative negligence

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also held the state government responsible, describing the incident as extremely serious.

Sapkal questioned whether the Tribal Development Department had ensured that the hostel received the grants it was supposed to receive and whether those funds were being used to provide basic facilities.

He particularly questioned reports that the girls were sleeping on the floor.

“If three girls die of snakebite in a hostel, it is an extremely unfortunate incident,” Sapkal said, while questioning whether the Tribal Development Department had failed in its responsibility.

He argued that cancelling the school’s licence alone would not be enough and said government departments must be held accountable for monitoring aided institutions.

Sapkal also called for scrutiny of district officials, project officers and the Tribal Development Minister. He pointed out that the minister had reportedly visited Gadchiroli around eight to 10 days before the incident.

Focus shifts to safety of tribal children

The deaths have brought renewed attention to the conditions in which children studying at tribal residential schools are living.

These institutions are intended to provide education and accommodation to children from tribal communities, many of whom come from remote areas. Because students stay on campus, authorities are responsible for ensuring that hostels have adequate staff, safe buildings, sanitation and emergency arrangements.

The state government has decided to conduct a third-party audit of more than 500 aided tribal residential schools to investigate if the problems identified at Japtalai are isolated or part of a wider issue.

The government has assured a detailed investigation and action against officials found responsible. The wider question now is whether the promised inspections will lead to meaningful improvements in the safety and living conditions of tribal students across Maharashtra.

(With inputs from agencies)