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,
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 raj, 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
Hydropower 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
