Pregnant tribal woman delivers on the banks of River Chaliyar

A pregnant tribal woman delivered a baby girl on the banks of River Chaliyar in Malappuram District of Kerala on Saturday, as she could not cross over the river in the absence of a bridge.

Malappuram: A pregnant tribal woman, who lives in Munderi Vaniyampuzha Tribal Colony in Malappuram District of Kerala, delivered a baby girl on the banks of River Chaliyar here on Saturday, as she could not cross over the river in the absence of a bridge.

The 27 year old woman was carried from Vaniayampuzha colony to the Iruttukuthi ghat of River Chaliyar on a stretcher borrowed from the Forest Station here. The bridge here was washed away in the 2019 floods.

In the absence of a bridge, to reach the other side of the River and to a hospital as soon as possible, the woman was transported in a makeshift raft across the river. People who were with her called up a 108 ambulance from Vazhikadavu to shift her to the hospital.

By the time the ambulance reached the spot, the woman who was already progressing in her labour delivered the baby on the sandy riverbank here. Her kin tied clothes around her and gave her a cover.

The nurse, who had come in the ambulance, gave the woman preliminary medical care and shifted her to Nilambur District hospital.

The people living in the colony and nearby places have been demanding to build a bridge in the place of the one that was washed away in the last floods.

Though the demand was also presented during a Village Assembly meeting (Oorukoottam) in the presence of District Administration officials, it was not considered or accepted by the officials.

Instead, the revenue officials in the district pooled in money and raised funds to build a hanging bridge here. However, this hanging bridge which was constructed at the cost of about 6.5 lakh rupees, has been fully damaged. It cannot be used by the Colony residents even in such cases of medical emergencies. (IANS)