Cheruthoni is a town on the banks of
Cheruthoni River, a major
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''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 into which they ...
of the
Periyar River, the second longest river in
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, 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 ...
state, in southwestern India. The area is known by
Cheruthoni Dam,
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 and the
Cheruthoni dam. These dams, along with the Kulamavu Dam, form the
Idukki Reservoir. Cheruthoni is part of Vazhathope
Panchayat, in the
Idukki District
Idukki (ഇടുക്കി; ) is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala in the southwest of the country. It is the largest district in Kerala and lies amid the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats in Kerala. Idukki district co ...
. 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 generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
project. The
Hindustan Construction Company was contracted to build the dams on behalf of the
Kerala State Electricity Board.
2018 Floods
File:Cheruthoni Junction,Idukki.ചെറുതോണി ജംഗ്ക്ഷൺ,ഇടുക്കി.jpg, Cheruthoni Junction
File:Cheruthoni004.jpg, Cheruthoni dam
File:Periyar river in cheruthoni.jpg, The cheruthoni periyar river after flood
References
Cities and towns in Idukki district
Rivers of Idukki district
{{Kerala-river-stub