Lack of road connectivity in the Tiger Corridor

Adilabad: Life’s struggles are many. Some 18 pregnant women of Murliguda Grampanchayat have undertaken a journey by foot through the hard terrain full of boulders and then trekked a hill in the forest for a three-km distance to board a jeep-set ambulance. They were on their way to a health facility for a medical test and scanning.

The women reached Kammargam village and boarded the 102 Ambulance that was arranged for them to reach the Kagaznagar PHC for the tests.

The Murliguda grama panchayat is set on the state borders, along the banks of River Pranahitha in Penchikaplet mandal.

Gavida Laxmi of Jilleda who went to Kagaznagar for medical tests said the pregnant women took a huge risk before their delivery by walking through the pathway filled with boulders on August 2.   

Pregnant Porseti Kavitha, also of Jilleda, said for those who get pregnant in the remote area, it has been a nightmare. They want to have babies but the struggle during pregnancy is hard to bear with as there existed no medical facility in the nearby areas.  has become a nightmare for many women of the Murliguda gram panchayat though they want to have babies due to lack of

There is lack of road connectivity and this also causes problems for them in the post-delivery period, at the start of the child-rearing. The safety of the mother and newborn is often at serious risk.

A total of 18 pregnant women and two Asha workers were adjusted into a  single 102-Ambulance as they travelled 60km to reach the Kagaznagar primary health centre for their tests.

The officials arranged another 108 Ambulance to drop them to their villages after the medical checkups. The pregnant women complained of inconveniences and said they felt like being crushed inside the ambulance.

Many pregnant women, as also others, living in interior areas that fall in the Tiger Corridor area are facing serious difficulties as regards medical check-ups and scanning.

They have pleaded for a proper road connectivity of medical facilities in the area, but there is no response from governmental agencies.

The Penchikalpet mandal in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district hardly gets any care from the government departments.  

District officials say a road was sanctioned for Jilleda village but the administration is not getting clearance from the forest department. People of Jilleda, Murliguda and ‘Gorre’ have requested the officials to lay at least a gravel road to reduce their difficulties.  

There are several tragic cases. Koya tribal couple Talandi Yashoda and Mahesh were eagerly waiting for the birth of their newborn baby. Their dreams were shattered as the newborn, a baby girl, died shortly after the delivery at their home in Jilleda village. The family had no means to take Yashoda to a hospital.

The family members say they could not take her to a government hospital due to lack of road connectivity. Streams and rivulets were overflowing due to the Monsoon floods on July 4, they said.

The people of Muraliguda gram panchayat have been facing such hardships for a long time. They are suffering from seasonal diseases and are unable to reach up to a hospital  in any situation of medical emergency.

He said there were incidents like a youth attempting suicide by consuming pesticide and dying on the way to a hospital. Had there been a road and vehicle facility, his life could have been saved.  

Asha worker Tarabai of Jilleda said they were taking care of pregnant women at their level but taking them for regular medical checkups and scanning remained a major problem due to the lack of road connectivity.

She said road connectivity and making a 108 Ambulance available for the area would help the residents in medical emergencies.  

The villagers ask why the forest officials are not giving clearance for the road sanctioned for their village while clearance had been given for the construction of a bridge on River Peddavagu in the same area to enable the police reach up to some Maoist areas in a swift manner.  

Forest officials say Murliguda gram panchayat is a tiger corridor between the Kawal tiger reserve and Tadoba Andhari riger reserve in Maharashtra.