A young homemaker from Hingalganj in North 24-Parganas gave birth to her son in an autorickshaw on the road on Monday as the vehicle in which she was going to a hospital couldn’t proceed on a muddy stretch amid heavy rain and cyclonic wind.

Sources said as the vehicle could not move after Swarupkathi market, a local doctor and some residents rushed to make the auto-rickshaw a labour chamber.

Here, Sarala Mondal gave birth to the child, whom she later named Aranya.

Subrata Mistry, the doctor, immediately shifted the mother and newborn to a room inside his clinic and ensured primary medical care. They were later shifted to the hospital after the weather improved.

On Monday morning Sarala, a resident of Dulduli village in Hingalganj, developed labour pain. Her husband Biswajit Mondal hired an auto-rickshaw from Lebukhali market to take her to a rural health centre. But the couple encountered inclement weather and the heavy rain turned the mud road into a mucky stretch.

“The weather was very bad since morning. But as my wife started labour pain, I decided to move to the hospital as early as possible. But the bad road compounded our problem. The auto got stuck in the mud and strong wind and rain made moving ahead difficult. At Swarupkathi, we had to suspend the journey although my wife was writhing in pain,” the husband said.

“But we were lucky as a doctor and some local residents rushed to help us. They helped her deliver the child and later took care of the mother and the newborn,” said Biswajit.

Physician Subrata Mistry said he was glad he happened to be around.

“I was standing outside my clinic and speaking to some people around 9am on Monday. The weather was very bad and an auto-rickshaw stopped near us. I saw a woman wailing inside in labour pain. We immediately rushed to her aid. Time was short. The woman gave birth inside the auto-rickshaw.”

Auto driver Abdul Rahaman Mondal said the situation had become too difficult for him to handle. “Thankfully the doctor and local residents all helped us.”