Woman Gives Birth on Pune Roadside as Ambulance Stuck in Traffic; Locals Step Up in Heroic Act

In a tragic reflection of administrative gaps and infrastructural neglect, a woman was forced to deliver her baby on the roadside in Wadachiwadi, part of Pune’s rapidly urbanising Undri area, after an ambulance was unable to reach her in time due to a severe traffic jam. What could have easily turned into a medical catastrophe was prevented only because of the timely and courageous response by local women and concerned residents.

The incident unfolded on Saturday afternoon, when 28-year-old Meenu Devendra Chauhan, a migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh residing in a rented home in Wadachiwadi, went into intense labour. Her husband immediately sought emergency help, but their pleas were met with logistical delays. The ambulance they called got stuck in traffic—congested roads jammed by heavy dumper trucks ferrying construction materials.

With no other option and time running out, local women Anita Bandal and former sarpanch Poonam Bandal rushed to help. They acted swiftly and assisted Meenu in delivering her baby using traditional methods—right there by the roadside, under a tree. Their calm presence and quick thinking ensured both mother and baby, a girl, remained safe during the delivery.

“There was simply no time to think. We had to act. It was about saving two lives,” said Poonam Bandal, recalling the urgency of the situation.

Shockingly, help from public or private services remained elusive for far too long. Meenu’s family shared how their request for help was repeatedly denied. Local rickshaw drivers turned them away, unwilling to take a woman in labour. Even an app-based cab service canceled the ride once the driver learned about the nature of the emergency.

Eventually, a private ambulance from Handewadi was contacted, but it took nearly 90 minutes to cover a distance of just 1.5 kilometres—by which time the baby had already arrived.

Fortunately, after the birth, social workers Rajendra Bhintade and Amol Bandal helped shift the mother and child to a private hospital in Handewadi. Both are reported to be in stable condition.

This isn’t just a one-off incident—it reflects systemic neglect. Five years ago, Wadachiwadi and several other nearby villages like Undri, Pisoli, and Handewadi were brought under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits with promises of better services and infrastructure. But residents say they are still waiting.

“There’s no municipal health centre in the area. If there had been one, this wouldn’t have happened,” said Bhintade. Other local leaders, including Vasant Kad, Snehal Dagade, and Nivrutti Bandal, echoed similar sentiments, pointing to a long history of ignored demands for basic healthcare facilities.

“This isn’t just a lapse in health services—it’s a humanitarian failure,” said Nivrutti Bandal. “How can a city as developed as Pune allow its citizens to give birth on the streets?”

Traffic congestion, caused mostly by large dumpers transporting gravel through narrow residential roads, has become a serious issue in the area. Residents blame authorities for ignoring repeated complaints and allowing commercial traffic to disrupt daily life.

“This time it was a childbirth. Next time it could be someone having a heart attack,” said a frustrated local. “We can’t keep living like this while being told we’re part of a ‘smart city’.”

When asked about the absence of immediate medical facilities, Dr. Nina Borade, Chief Medical Officer of PMC, said the primary health services in the merged villages are still being managed by the Pune Zilla Parishad, as the healthcare sector hasn’t been fully integrated into PMC’s domain.

Health activist Deepak Jadhav called the event appalling, stating, “It’s time to prioritise women’s health. We need 108 emergency services to be better enforced and accessible. Maternity care centres must be established in every corner of these merged zones.”

Local MLC Yogesh Tilekar, expressing his concern, said, “This is unacceptable. These villages need functioning health and civic facilities. These citizens are being denied their fundamental rights. I will personally follow up on this matter.”

While Meenu Chauhan and her newborn daughter are safe today, the circumstances of her delivery have become a rallying cry for residents demanding better governance, urgent healthcare investment, and traffic control measures in Pune’s fringe zones.