Hwh locals find abandoned ‘Barsha’ in trash during rain
Times of India | 7 August 2025
Kolkata: On Wednesday morning, amidst heavy rain, a newborn girl was found in a trash bin under Nibedita br-idge in Howrah. The baby, admitted to T L Jaiswal Hospital in a critical condition, has been christened Barsha (Rain) by doctors and nurses, who said she was responding to treatment. In the evening, the baby, weighing 2.8 kg, was breastfed by a new mother in the maternity ward. Cops and locals said around 6 am, a vagrant heard the cries of the baby from a dumpster in Panchanantala and alerted a toto driver. He, in turn, called locals, and together, they rescued the baby. The toto driver said the baby's umbilical cord still had blood on it. She was almost lifeless, lying in the rain with ants covering her body.
The baby was initially admitted to a nursing home near Lalbaba College, before Bally Police shifted her to T L Jaiswal Hospital and placed her under the care of the Child Welfare Committee.
Kisholay Dutta, chief medical officer of health, Howrah, said she was responding to treatment and the infection was under control. The necessary birth vaccinations were being administered. "Initially, she was placed in an incubator but was moved to the maternity ward after she was found to be out of danger," a doctor said. Cops are reviewing CCTV footage to identify who deserted the baby. A video footage from a connecting road showed a youth with his face covered, carrying something wrapped in a towel. An attempt was made to create a sketch of a person seen in the area. Police and doctors believe the newborn was abandoned about 2.5-3 hours before being found. The vagrant who heard the baby cry told cops some dogs had approached the dumpster and he chased them away before alerting the toto driver.