The Idukki Arch Dam rises 169 metres across a narrow gorge on the Periyar, between the Kuravan and Kurathi hills. It is a double-curvature arch dam, a design well suited to a tall, narrow site.
The arch alone does not hold the reservoir. The Cheruthoni and Kulamavu dams close the other gaps, and together the three form the Idukki reservoir that feeds the power station at Moolamattom.
Construction began in 1969 and was completed in 1973, around the time the district itself was formed. Since then the dam has become a symbol of Idukki, and its shutters at Cheruthoni draw national attention when the reservoir is high, as in the floods of 2018.
- Idukki Dam
- Periyar
- Hydroelectric
- Cheruthoni
Spotted a mistake, or have something to add? Tell us and we will check it and update the story.