Pregnant woman carried on cot across flooded stream in Maharashtra, no bridge in sight

Villagers in Maharashtra carried a pregnant woman across a flooded stream after an ambulance could not reach her due to the absence of a bridge. The incident has again spotlighted the village's lack of a bridge, road access and emergency care during the monsoon.Pregnant woman carried on cot across flooded stream in Maharashtra, no bridge in sightA pregnant woman in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli had to be carried across a flooded stream on a makeshift sling after an ambulance could not reach her village due to the absence of a bridge.The distressing incident took place in Koindul village, where the absence of bridges and proper roads left 26-year-old Chhaya Suresh Naitam dependent on villagers to get her to a hospital when she went into labour.On Friday morning, when Chhaya needed immediate medical attention, the ambulance could not make its way to the village because of the flooded streams. With no other option, villagers stepped in to help.They placed Chhaya on a cot and carried her through the floodwaters using a makeshift sling, locally known as a kanwad. The villagers carefully made their way across the water while transporting the pregnant woman to the other side, where an ambulance was waiting. A health worker also accompanied Chhaya during the journey. Once she reached the other side, she was taken to the hospital in the waiting ambulance.Watch the video here: The incident was particularly striking as it happened on Raksha Bandhan, a festival associated with the bond of protection between brothers and sisters.However, villagers said this was far from an isolated incident. They claimed they have been facing the same problem every monsoon because the streams become difficult, and sometimes dangerous, to cross.A few weeks ago, similarly, a seven-month-pregnant woman had to be carried across a swollen stream on a makeshift stretcher after heavy rain cut off-road access to her remote tribal hamlet in Telangana.Villagers said they had repeatedly demanded a bridge and a proper road, but claimed that a permanent solution had still not been provided.The residents of Koindul expressed anger over the situation, questioning how villagers could still be forced to cross flooded streams for basic medical care decades after Independence.- EndsPublished By: Yashna TalwarPublished On: Aug 29, 2026 10:19 IST