Idukki Dam: The story of an Arch dam

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Built between the granite mountains of Kuravanmala & Kurathimala this beautiful arch dam is the third tallest dam in the world & the highest in Asia. The dam is 554 ft high and is made of concrete with a parabolic design which creates an arch over the mighty Periyar river. The view of the dam along the beautiful Idukki landscape is an engineering marvel & one that is a lifeline of Kerala. The dam has no shutters & is owned by the Kerala State Electricity board. The dam is part of the system that supports the Moolamattom Power project which is one of the most important Hydroelectricity projects in South India. The system has other dams along the Periyar at Cheruthoni & Kulamavu. These dams have a shutter system & they are used to maintain the water levels in the reservoir. Together, the reservoir has created a lake of around 60 sq kms in size. The Moolamattom power station has the capacity to produce 780 MW which caters to a substantial power requirement of the state. 

The dam was commissioned into operation only in the last 50 years but the idea of such a dam is over a century old. The first thought of building a dam came to an Italian Engineer by the name of Jacob who is said to have submitted an idea to build a dam over the periyar to the erstwhile Travancore King which was not met with much of an approval back then. It was only when the Malankara Estate Superintendent WJ John showed interest that the Travancore government took notice. This idea of John was based on an idea he got while on a hunting expedition in the forests which was headed by the Oorali Tribe Chieftain. It so happened that the Tribal man by the name Kolumban took John to see the mountains & one look at the majestic waters flowing between the mountains convinced John that an arch dam was the need for power generation. By 1932 he submitted a detailed report of his plan to build the dam to the Travancore government but trouble in finances, the freedom struggle & overall state of the government stopped the King from making any further progress. John kept the plan to him & it was only post independence that the necessity of a dam grew to fulfill the power crisis. The central government asked the state to start site inspections for the construction of a dam along Periyar, the detailed plan was submitted to the government in 1961. Post the inspections, the government started preliminary construction works by 1963. They looked for grants from International firms to construct the arch dam which was new to India. Canada showed interest & gave funds to build the dam & construction commenced by 1969. The dam construction was completed by 1973 & water was allowed to fill the reservoir. The power plant was also completed in the due course & the dam was finally commissioned in 1976. 

The power station at Moolamattom is around 40kms away from the dam & is built within the Granite Mountains. For long the access to common people was restricted at the dam but now tourists can visit this beautiful structure & walk along the arch road viewing the valley on one side, and a vast reservoir on the other side. There is also boating available within the reservoir to enjoy the views further. The true grandeur of the arch dam is however evident from the land below which towers over the landscape & stands as a signature of great engineering skills.


Location: Cheruthoni, Kerala 685602, India

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