The headmistress-in-charge of a government middle school in Avarankuppam, Natrampalli, in Vellore District of Tamil Nadu, has been suspended after a video surfaced online showing students cleaning water tanks at the school, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

The video, taken by local media persons, shows a male student cleaning the area around a tank with a broom. Several other students are also seen near an overhead tank, seemingly cleaning it.

Chief Education Officer (CEO) R Punniyakotti confirmed to The New Indian Express that the headmistress, Uma Rani, has been suspended following the incident. However, he did not provide any further details.

Sources said that the students were cleaning green algae from a 1000-litre overhead tank using brooms. The school has approximately 100 students enrolled in Classes I to VIII.

When asked about the incident, Uma Rani told reporters that the students had cleaned the tank on their own after noticing insects around it during lunch. She also allegedly claimed to reporters the students were not forced to clean it, according to a report by The New Indian Express.

This is not the first time such an incident is happening in a government school of India.