“Due to the absence of proper road connectivity, we made a bamboo stretcher and carried him through deep forest,” a resident of the settlement said. But the boy did not survive the trip to the Mankulam hospital. In September 2025, Karthik’s grandmother, Rajakanni, too contacted fever and was carried to Mankulam on a bamboo stretcher. Munnar Range Officer S. Biju said the Forest department has requested a revised estimate for the road construction. Sources said the proposed Koodallarkudy-Anakkulam road passes through three forest divisions—Munnar, Mankulam, and Malayattoor.