Nahan: Several villages in Gram Panchayat Salani Katola of Nahan assembly constituency continue to be deprived of basic road and transport facilities. In Mohaliya Jamun Wala Jhameria village, about 10 km from the district headquarters, Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, Gayatri, wife of Puneet Kumar, delivered her baby, but could not be taken to the hospital due to the treacherous condition of the approach path.
A video of her being carried home on a cot has since gone viral, sparking public outrage and renewed questions about the government’s failure to provide essential infrastructure.
Residents say the village is accessible only on foot, requiring a 3 km walk to reach the nearest road. The absence of a bridge and a paved road forces patients to traverse a rough, slippery track, which becomes particularly perilous during the monsoon.
For Gayatri, this meant enduring post-delivery pain while being transported in unsafe conditions.
Villagers alleged that despite repeated demands for a bridge and an all-weather road, authorities have taken no concrete action. “We have raised this issue many times, but our pleas fall on deaf ears,” a resident said.
“The grim reality and poor infrastructure in rural Himachal Pradesh continues to endanger lives, especially of women and children, while exposing a gap between official promises and on-ground realities,” local resident Rakesh Chauhan stated.
The reminder of this neglect came when a woman, after giving birth, had to be carried home on a cot along with her newborn because rain-damaged roads made it impossible to reach a hospital for post natal care.