
A pregnant woman was transported to a hospital in a homemade fabric sling when the lack of a motorable road prevented ambulance access, serving as a sobering reminder of the infrastructure deficiencies that still persist just outside of Mumbai. The incident happened at Umbarane Wadi in the Raigad district's Khalapur taluka, which is only a few kilometres from the Khalapur Toll Plaza on the Mumbai-Pune Motorway and about 80 kilometres from Mumbai.
Visuals from the region depict locals helping the pregnant lady to safety while navigating slick rocks, uneven terrain, and rushing streams. Afterwards, she was brought to Chouk Hospital to give birth. After going into labour, the womanโidentified as Ananta Pardhi's wifeโhad to be carried by the locals along a treacherous woodland trail to Chouk Hospital. Residents made a sling out of a bedsheet and trekked several km across steep terrain and streams to get medical assistance because there was no suitable road going to the tribal village.
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๐๐จ ๐๐จ๐๐, ๐๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐: ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ |
India talks of becoming a global superpower and governments showcase digital development, but the ground reality in parts of Raigad tells a different story. In Khalapurโsโฆ pic.twitter.com/Kdm8mADvXSโ MUMBAI NEWS (@Mumbaikhabar9) July 14, 2026
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Decades after independence, Umbarane Wadi is one of four tribal communities, along with Pirkadwadi and Arkaswadi, that still lack basic amenities like electricity and all-weather roads. Residents claim that the recent strong monsoon rains have washed away the short walkway that connects the village to Chouk, making access even more challenging, according to a News18 Marathi article.
Ironically, the isolated villages are close to the Mumbai-Pune Motorway, one of India's busiest roads, and the Morbe Dam, which provides drinking water to Navi Mumbai. Locals have criticised the occurrence, questioning the government's boasts of progress while basic connection is still lacking in villages that are only a short distance from one of the most advanced motorways in the nation.
The contrast has drawn sharp attention as motorists continue to pay tolls at the Khalapur Toll Plaza for travelling on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, while residents living just a few kilometres away are still forced to carry patients on foot due to the absence of a proper road.
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