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Kerala Tourism is all ready to unveil a memorial dedicated to Chemban Kolumban, the Adivasi leader who was instrumental in changing the course of history by discovering the site for the Idukki Hydro Electric Project (IHEP), the largest hydro electric project in Kerala. The memorial has been set up in Vellappara, near Cheruthoni.
"Kolumban is a person of immense historical importance. He is a figure of worship among the tribal community and much revered among the locals. His contribution is unparalleled. He was the one who showed the hills of Kuravan and Kurathi, thereby being instrumental in the setting up of the Idukki Dam," says Mr. Jayan P. Vijayan, Secretary, DTPC, Idukki.
It was Kolumban who pointed out the spot for the dam between the two hills Kuravan and Kurathi where the River Periyar flows. Legend has it that back in 1922, Kolumban joined a team headed by the Malankara Estate superintendent during a hunting trip in Idukki. And it was during this trip that the spot was pointed out by Kolumban. The officials later prepared the report for constructing the dam which was commissioned on February 12, 1976 by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The statue and memorial will be inaugurated in the month of August. The Department of Archaeology, Government of Kerala, is the implementing agency of the project. Mr. Ramachandran Kadannappally, Minister for Ports, Museums, Archaeology and Archives, Government of Kerala and Mr. M. M. Mani, Minister for Power, Government of Kerala are expected to unveil the 12 ft.-statue and dedicate the memorial. Through this project, Government of Kerala hopes to keep alive the legend of Kolumban and also enlighten the tourists arriving at the dam about the history behind the dam.
IHEP was completed with aid from the Government of Canada and the technical consultancy was M/s. Surveyor, Nenniger and Chenevert. Three Dams - Idukki Arch Dam, Cheruthoni Dam & Kulamavu Dam - are associated with this project. A double curvature Arch dam, the Idukki Dam is constructed across the Periyar River in a narrow gorge between two granite hills - Kuravan and Kurathi. At 168.91 m, it is one of the highest arch dams in Asia.
