Vizianagaram: Due to the lack of a proper road connecting tribal remote areas, a mother carried her ailing 12-year-old daughter on her shoulders for nearly seven kilometres through rocky paths and damaged stretches to reach a hospital in Vizianagaram district on Sunday. The incident occurred at Pallapu Dungada village in Srungavarapukota mandal.
According to reports, the girl, Janni Sampoorna, fell ill and was too weak to walk. With no motorable road connecting the village, her mother, Sunkaramma, carried her through rocky paths, uneven stretches and streams to reach the foothills near Dabbagunta.
She then hired an auto-rickshaw to take her daughter to a private hospital for treatment. After the girl received medical attention, Sunkaramma carried her on her shoulders once again for the return journey.
The damage caused to roads and pathways by Cyclone Arnab added to the difficulties, making several stretches difficult to cross. With her daughter on her shoulders, Sunkaramma also carried a bag and drinking water in one hand as she made her way through the rough terrain to get the child medical attention.
Ironically, a 6.5-km road sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) nearly eight years ago remains incomplete, leaving residents struggling to access essential services. Adding to their difficulties, the process to establish a health clinic in the area is still underway, with tenders yet to be finalised.
The incident has raised concerns over the poor road connectivity in remote tribal villages. Residents said several habitations continued to remain without proper roads despite years of assurances and expressed concern that the lack of basic infrastructure was putting lives at risk, particularly during medical emergencies.
Residents and affected families urged the government, district administration and public representatives to address the issue and take necessary measures to ensure that tribal communities do not continue to face such difficulties in the future.
With inputs from media reports