BAREILLY: A two-day-old baby girl was miraculously found alive — her head cushioned by water hyacinth which also saved her from drowning — in a pond in Khataua village under Nawabganj police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district on Friday.
This comes a week after a day-old baby boy was rescued despite being thrown into a 20-foot-deep dry well in Budaun district.
On Thursday afternoon, former village head Vakeel Ahmad, who was on his way to his agricultural field, frantically called the police saying that a baby had been found in the local pond.
He then rescued the newborn and as word spread local residents gathered at the spot in large numbers to witness the "miracle".
A video of the girl being taken out, covered in hyacinth, went viral in local circles.
Sub-inspector Sumer Singh, along with lady constable Mausam Devi, took custody of the child and admitted her to a community health centre in Nawabganj.
She was then referred to the district hospital for further check-ups. She had no injuries.
Ahmad said, "The baby girl was found wrapped in a piece of cloth and she was immersed in neck-deep water. She was at a distance of nearly five meters from the pondside and was possibly thrown in the water by someone who wanted her dead but the almighty saved her life. Water hyacinth saved her despite remaining in the pond for hours."
Additional SP (rural) Rajkumar Agarwal said, “We are trying to find out who dumped her and when. She luckily got stuck in water hyacinth which saved her from drowning. Since she remained in the water for quite a while, we rushed her to the hospital, where she was found to be fine.”
The baby was eventually handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and shifted to a foster home in Bareilly city, said police. “We will wait for her parents to turn up in 72 hours and in case no one comes we will register a complaint as per the guidelines,” added Agarwal.
CWC chairperson Dinesh Chandra said, “We have named the girl ‘Ganga’ as she was found in a pond. After completing the necessary medical examination, we have shifted her to a foster care home where staff will take care of her. The baby can be claimed by her parents by approaching the CWC and showing the required documents. The child will remain in Warne Baby Fold till further notice."
With Sakshi Persis Edmond
