Absence Of Access Road, Bridge Force Pregnant Woman To Cross Flooded River In Cauldron

Koraput: In a clear case of bureaucratic apathy, a pregnant woman was carried in a cauldron across a swollen flooded river to reach a health centre risking her life at Dambaturunji village under Boriguma block in Koraput district on Thursday.

In the absence of an access road and a bridge over the Chhabera river, the pregnant woman was carried on a cot by villagers as they waded through the river that had swollen due to floods.

According to sources, the woman experienced labour pains this morning. But the ambulances did not turn up despite calls. So, the family members made a sling using a cauldron and carried her over the hilly terrain.

The woes of that woman did not end there. They had to wade across the Chhabera river in that cauldron again to reach a nearby CHC.

Reportedly, Dambaturunji village does not have proper road connectivity. The district administration had started construction of a bridge five years back.

As the construction work of the bridge is still hanging fire, villagers are forced to cross the river by risking their lives on a daily basis. The situation even worsens on rainy days.