- Petronet LNG provided an ambulance to Edamalakkudy tribal hamlet in Kerala in 2023
- The ambulance has been non-operational and abandoned near Adimali, lacking maintenance
- Panchayat president cites payment rules delaying repairs, requiring direct manufacturer payment
In 2023, Petronet LNG Limited provided an ambulance to serve the remote tribal hamlet of Edamalakkudy in Kerala through its CSR funds. Three years later, locals still had to carry four sick patients across steep hills and hazardous forest rivers to reach a hospital miles away.
Meanwhile, the now-rusted ambulance in question lies non-operational, abandoned and parked near Adimali in Idukki without proper maintenance - on the verge of total decay.
The ambulance was the lifeline to Kerala's first and only exclusively tribal Gram Panchayat.
Local leaders attribute the delay in fixing the vehicle to technical and procedural hurdles. Edamalakkudy panchayat president Binu M said the vehicle manufacturer must be paid directly for the repair work, an expense that technical guidelines dictate must be borne by the panchayat.
He claimed the panchayat lacks the necessary financial mechanisms or designated fund allocation options to make such direct manufacturer payments, leaving the repair process completely stalled for over a month.
However, locals oppose this timeline. They claim that the vehicle has not been abandoned for a month, but is lying non-operational for the past six months.
Formed in November 2010 after being carved out of the Devikulam region, Edamalakkudy is recognised as Kerala's first and only exclusively tribal Gram Panchayat. Home to the indigenous Muthuvan community spread across 26 remote hamlets (kudis), all 13 of its electoral wards are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Despite its unique administrative standing, basic infrastructure like roads and bridges remains almost non-existent, forcing residents to rely heavily on emergency off-road vehicles.
Locals emphasise that if the authorities immediately intervene to resolve the administrative stalemate and make the ambulance roadworthy, it will significantly alleviate the severe medical transport hardships endured by the tribal residents of Edamalakkudy.
