Cheruthoni Explained

Cheruthoni
Settlement Type:village
Pushpin Map:India Kerala#India
Pushpin Label Position:left
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Kerala, India
Coordinates:9.7736°N 77.0353°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Kerala
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Idukki
Government Type:Panchayath
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Languages
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Malayalam, English
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+5:30
Postal Code Type:PIN
Postal Code:685602
Registration Plate:KL-06
Blank1 Name Sec1:Nearest city
Blank1 Info Sec1:Kattappana, Thopramkudy

Cheruthoni is a town on the banks of Cheruthoni River, a major tributary of the Periyar River, the second longest river in Kerala 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. 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 project. The Hindustan Construction Company was contracted to build the dams on behalf of the Kerala State Electricity Board.