A pregnant woman of Rollagadda, a tribal hamlet in Gundala mandal, had a harrowing experience in crossing a forest stream on foot along with the help of two of her family members on Friday afternoon after the approach road over the stream was washed away by swirling waters of the stream.
The incident has yet again brought into spotlight the travails of people living in far flung areas of the Agency mandals due to lack of high level bridges over the forest streams at several tribal hamlets ahead of the onset of monsoon season.
Sources said that Sandhya Rani, who was nine months pregnant, developed labour pains on Friday morning. Her husband Yugender called for an ambulance to help shift her to the government hospital in Yellendu. An ambulance headed to Rollagadda but could not reach the habitation as the approach road to the village was washed away.
This compelled Sandhya to wade through the stream in almost knee-deep water with the help of Yugender and a close relative. She reached the roadpoint with great difficulty and boarded the ambulance.
Later, she gave birth to a baby boy at the Primary Health Centre in the mandal headquarters.
Meanwhile, Collector M. V. Reddy ordered an inquiry into the incident to ascertain the reasons for the delay in construction of an already sanctioned bridge at Rollagadda and probe alleged lapses on the part of the staff concerned.
