Edamalakkudy: 75 Year Old Carried Through Forest in Search of Medical Help!

In a heartbreaking incident from Idukki's Edamalakkudy, a 75-year-old man had to be carried in a makeshift sling for 4 km through a dense forest to get to a hospital. Locals say their repeated pleas for a proper road are being blocked by the Forest Department.

Idukki: The heartbreaking scenes from Idukki's Edamalakkudy just don't seem to end. Once again, a sick person had to be carried for kilometres on shoulders to reach a hospital. This time, it was 75-year-old Malayappan, who was seriously ill with a fever. People from his village, Koodalarkudy, carried him in a makeshift cloth sling for over four kilometres through the jungle.

For the people of Edamalakkudy, this story of suffering is nothing new. Koodalarkudy is one of the most remote settlements in the area. For them, the only way to get to a hospital is to first reach Anakulam, then go to Mankulam, and finally to Adimali. But to get to Anakulam, they have to trek over four kilometres on a narrow jungle path.

Villagers have been demanding a proper, motorable road for years. They've held protests and given many petitions, but the plan for a road through the forest is stuck. The locals squarely blame the Forest Department for blocking it.

There is an official road to Edamalakkudy, which goes from Rajamala and Pettimudi to Idalipparakkudy. But for the people of Koodalarkudy and nearby settlements, this is a huge detour. They would have to travel more than 10 kilometres just to get to Idalipparakkudy. For emergencies, this long route is just not practical, which is why they are forced to use the difficult jungle path.

This isn't a one-off incident. Last year, a sick child was carried through the same forest at night to get medical help. There was even a plan to build a road here under the employment guarantee scheme, but the Forest Department reportedly refused to give the final green signal. All the people of Koodalarkudy are asking for is a basic, usable road. Their plea remains unheard.