Pregnant woman ferried across flooded river in bullock cart
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A video of the ordeal went viral on Monday.
The incident occurred in Bod Rayyat village of Chicholi block, where local resident Sunita Uikey went into labour amid heavy rains.
With the Bhaji river, which flows near the village, in full spate and no bridge in sight, villagers risked their lives to help her cross the swollen river in a bullock cart. Sunita was admitted to Chirapatla hospital, where she later gave birth to a baby boy.
"The lack of a bridge affects schoolchildren as well, who often find themselves stranded on the opposite bank during the monsoon. There is a school till Class 8 in the village, but students studying in higher classes have to miss school when the river swells. Even otherwise, they have to cross the river to reach their schools in Chirapatla," said Sanjay Arya, a resident of neighbouring Chirapatla village, while speaking to TOI.
"Villagers have been demanding a bridge over the river for long. In 2022, they even blocked the National Highway, but to no avail," he added.
After the video went viral, Betul district collector Narendra Suryavanshi told media persons, "In the last election too, locals demanded a bridge. The then collector visited the village, and PWD officials inspected the area. A Stage-1 proposal was prepared and sent to the department. I have spoken to the officials and have been informed that we will write again to the govt. We will try to ensure that the locals' problems are resolved.
Meanwhile, I have directed the concerned tehsildar to ensure that, in such situations, arrangements for safe commutation are made. In this case, the administration was not informed, and the locals took the woman across on their own."
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