Dantewada Nurse Crosses Crocodile-Infested River on Makeshift Boat for Patients

There is a river known as Indrāvati, which flows through Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra. In parts, this river is densely populated with crocodiles.

Knowing that, would you attempt crossing this river on a makeshift boat? Or better yet, would you do this for seven years – day in and day out?

I am sure the answer to both my questions will be no.

Meet Sunita Thakur, an ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) based in Chhattisgarh, who crosses this very river every day on a makeshift boat to ensure that women living in Naxal regions of Dantewada have access to good healthcare.

“I am determined to do my work. I cross Indravati river using a makeshift boat on my own and walk across a thick forest to get to the village where I treat villagers. It is an 8-10 km journey that I cover on foot and by crossing the river every day,” said Sunita, as reported in Indiatimes.

On numerous occasions, Sunita has encountered situations that made her feel that the end was near. Several times she also came face to face with wild animals. However, it is her sheer dedication and commitment to ensuring that medical help reaches the villagers that she can continue serving them without fear.

People like Sunita are the true heroes we must be in awe of.

Another such story we had covered was of an IPS officer called Asra Garg of the 2004 batch which was initially posted at Tirupatthur as Assistant Superintendent of Police.

In 2008, Asra took over as Superintendent of Police Tirunelveli (Rural), and one of the first things that he and his team did was to crackdown on the practice of lending money at an unreasonably high rate.

He also made his contact details public in a bid to ensure that anyone in trouble in his district could reach out to him for help. He also ensured that he earned the trust of the people in his district and came up with various innovative ways of dealing with crime.

You can read all about that here.

Perhaps we must work towards ensuring that the government recognises these acts and provides all the assistance that people like Sunita and Asra might need in fulfilling their duty.

Featured image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

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