Cheruthoni () is a town on the banks of

Cheruthoni River Cheruthoni () is a town on the banks of Cheruthoni River, a major tributary of the Periyar River, the second longest river in Kerala state, India. The area is known by Cheruthoni Dam, which is a part of Idukki reservoir, which provide hydroelectr ...

, a major

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the

Periyar River Periyar, , (meaning: ''big river'') is the longest river and the river with the largest discharge potential in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns. ...

, the second longest river in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

state, India. The area is known by

Cheruthoni Dam The Cheruthoni Dam, located in Idukki District, Kerala, India, is a 138m tall concrete gravity dam. This dam was constructed in 1976 as part of the Idukki Hydroelectric Project along with two other dams Idukki and Kulamavu. The Government of ...

, which is a part of Idukki reservoir, which provide hydroelectric power to the region.

Location

The town is adjacent to the famous

Idukki Arch Dam The Idukki Dam is a double curvature arch dam constructed across the Periyar River in a narrow gorge between two granite hills locally known as ''Kuravanmala, Kuravan'' and ''Kurathi'' in Idukki, Kerala, India. At , it is one of the highest arch ...

and the

Cheruthoni dam The Cheruthoni Dam, located in Idukki District, Kerala, India, is a 138m tall concrete gravity dam. This dam was constructed in 1976 as part of the Idukki Hydroelectric Project along with two other dams Idukki and Kulamavu. The Government of ...

. These dams, along with the Kulamavu Dam, form the Idukki Reservoir. Cheruthoni is part of Vazhathope

Panchayat The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical ment ...

, in the Idukki District. Other villages adjacent to Cheruthoni are Vazhathope, Thadiyampadu, Karimban, Manjappara, Maniyarankudi, Bhoomiyamkulam, Peppara, Manjikkavala and Painavu.

Origin

The origins of this place can be traced back to 1940s, following a famine the government allowed farmers to migrate to unoccupied arable lands in the mountains, where they cleared the land for agriculture. Later, this region was identified as an ideal spot for a

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

project. The

Hindustan Construction Company Hindustan Construction Company Limited (HCC) is an Indian Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Project Management companies. It is headquartered in Mumbai. HCC was founded by Industrialist Seth Walchand Hirachand in 1926. HCC has exe ...

was contracted to build the dams on behalf of the

Kerala State Electricity Board Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is an Indian public sector undertaking under the Government of Kerala that generates, transmits and distributes electricity in the state under government monopoly. Established in 1957, the agency comes unde ...

2018 Floods

Cities and towns in Idukki district Rivers of Idukki district {{India-river-stub