At a glance
Peerumedu Grama Panchayat is a village panchayat situated in Peerumedu Taluk of Idukki district under the Azhutha Block Panchayat. The villages included in the panchayat are Peerumedu, Elappara, and Manjumala.
Area: 114.75 square kilometers
Boundaries:
East – Vandiperiyar
West – Peruvanthanam
North – Elappara
South – Reserve Forest
Peerumedu is one of the major hill stations in the region. It is located at an altitude of 3,500 feet above sea level. During the royal period, Peerumedu served as the summer capital of Travancore. The panchayat lies amidst the lofty peaks of the Western Ghats.
On the northern border of the panchayat at Murinjapuzha, to the right side of the K.K. Road, lie the dense Murinjapuzha forests. The nearby area of Kuttikkanam is filled with high grasslands and rocky terrains. The Valanjanganam Reserve Forest stretches from Kuttikkanam to Thottappura. The reserve forests beginning from Thottappura pass through the tribal region of Plackathadam and extend up to the Sabarimala Reserve Forests.
The highest mountain ranges in this region rise to about 4,000 feet above sea level. The first Panchayat Committee meeting was held on 13 September 1953, and R.C. Das was elected as President while Rajappan Kankani was elected as Vice President.
In earlier times, the panchayat experienced heavy rainfall for six months of the year, dense fog for three months, and a temperate climate during the remaining months. More than half of the panchayat area consists of tea plantations.