Kumily grama panchayat president MM Varghese administered medicine to a Sabarimala devotee at a temporary medical camp opened in Kumily for the Makaravilakku season on Tuesday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Kumily grama panchayat has opened a medical camp to provide medical facilities to Sabarimala pilgrims during the Makaravilakku season.
The camp, located at the Forest Office building in Kumily town, was inaugurated by Kumily grama panchayat president MM Varghese on Tuesday. It will provide allopathy, ayurveda, homeopathy and siddha treatment, Kumily panchayat secretary R. Ashok Kumar said.
“The camp will function till the Makaravilakku festival. It will function 24 hours a day. Thousands of pilgrims use the Kumily route and this camp will provide significant relief to them,” Kumar said.
The opening follows the recent order of Idukki District Collector Dinesan Cheruvat. While the forest department initially objected to the facility, permission was granted after a meeting between Mr. Varghes and Eastern Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) Deputy Director PU Saju on Sunday.
Relations between the local body and the forest department have been strained recently, with the department blocking the installation of temporary toilets for pilgrims at the Sree Dharma Shasta temple near Kumila and confiscating equipment meant for the job.
According to sources, after repeated obstructions, the district collector informed the forest officials that the administration would use the Disaster Management Act to ensure the installation of necessary health and hygiene facilities.
CM’s letter
Meanwhile, Mr. Varghese has sent a letter to the Chief Minister and the Forest Minister saying that the local body is struggling to provide parking and other necessary facilities for Sabarimala pilgrims over repeated objections from the forest department.
Recently, the district collector directed the department to open the Anavacal plot for temporary parking. However, the department blocked the move, arguing that a Supreme Court order prohibits such conduct.
I am speaking with the mediators, Mr. Cheruvate. stated that he had found no such court orders and that the Department had not provided a copy of any such decision. “I have sent a letter to the government requesting that parking be allowed on Anavachal grounds during the Makaravilakku season. I hope the government will issue a clear order to the forest department in this regard,” said Mr. Cheruvat.
Published – 30 Dec 2025 19:47 IST
