Labhpur, Aug. 2: Kakoli Mete, 20, felt a stab of pain on Friday afternoon.

The homemaker from Birbhum's Labhpur was in her advanced stage of pregnancy and needed to be taken to hospital after she went into labour. But because of heavy rain and breaches in the embankment of the Kuye river, Gokulbati village had been inundated and boats were the only mode of transport.

The nearest hospital was 9km away and no boat operator was ready to ferry Kakoli because of the strong current of the floodwaters.

A vano operator agreed to take her to Labhpur block hospital.

Yesterday afternoon, after much coaxing, a country boat was provided by the block development office of Labhpur to ferry Kakoli through turbulent water to a metalled road about 100 metres away, where the vano was waiting.

"We travelled for an hour in the vano and reached Laghata, from where we crossed the Kuye river in a speed boat and reached Labhpur town. From there, we hired a car to reach Labhpur block hospital. The entire journey took three hours. Under normal circumstances, it would have taken about 45 minutes," said Mithun, Kakoli's husband.

Within half an hour of admission, Kakoli gave birth to a girl. Kakoli's father Tapan has named the infant Banya (flood).