Tribal Villagers Build Road After Pregnant Woman Dies Without Timely Medical Access Two months after the death of Sangeeta Gedam, a tribal woman whose untimely demise exposed the dire lack of road connectivity in a remote Maharashtra hamlet near the Telangana border, residents of Ghodankappi in Jiwti taluka have taken matters into their own hands. The village, nestled in the hills, has become a symbol of frustration over years of neglected infrastructure, prompting its inhabitants to mobilize and construct a vital road themselves. The tragedy of Sangeeta’s death, which occurred on June 14, has galvanized the community, leading to a collective effort to ensure no family suffers the same fate. Sangeeta, a resident of Ghodankappi, died following childbirth, her life cut short when an ambulance could not reach the hamlet due to the absence of a motorable road. The village, home to approximately 20 households, has long been isolated by a rocky trail that becomes impassable during monsoons. Despite the presence of a cement road and an anganwadi (a child development center), the lack of a proper connection to the main route has left residents reliant on treacherous paths. Children attending a zilla parishad school located outside the hamlet must traverse the same hazardous trail, exacerbating the challenges of daily life. The death of Sangeeta, who gave birth to a baby girl, has left her husband, Tulsiram Gedam, and their three-year-old son to cope with the loss. Tulsiram, now leading the village’s road-building initiative, described the administration’s inaction as a catalyst for their self-reliant effort. “We repeatedly approached the administration for a road, but nothing concrete happened. After losing my wife, I decided we could not keep waiting,” he said.#sangeeta_gedam #ghodankappi #tulsiram_gedam #jiwti_taluka #world_tribal_day
