Cheruthoni Dam

Cheruthoni Dam is a gravity dam on the Periyar River in Kerala, India, standing 138 meters high and creating a reservoir among forested valleys. The concrete barrier follows a curved line across the riverbed and stores water that flows through pressure shafts to underground power stations.

Construction began in 1969 and finished in 1976 as part of a large hydroelectric project to meet growing power needs in Kerala. The works required the relocation of entire village communities whose lands were submerged.

The name Cheruthoni derives from Malayalam words referring to the smaller sister in a three-dam system across this mountainous region. Local farmers watch the water levels closely, as they shape irrigation plans during the rainy season and dry months.

The site is open daily, but permissions are needed to take photographs or approach certain restricted areas more closely. Access follows roads that wind through tea plantations and forested patches.

This structure is part of an unusual arrangement of three dams that together form a single water basin between natural mountain ridges. The two neighboring barriers close off the reservoir at different points and create an extensive system for power generation.