The primary purpose of the dam is irrigation but it will also provide for flood control, water supply and hydroelectric power generation.

Water in the reservoir will be used to help irrigate 90,000 ha (222,395 acres) of farmland and the power station is expected to have a 110 MW capacity.

[5] The project has been surrounded with controversy over the years, particularly as its reservoir would flood 4,896 ha (12,098 acres) of land.

[6] Affected residents claim that compensation for their land is too low and that the government intimidated them to accept offers in the 1980s.

[7] In addition, a 2011 study by Indonesia's Ministry of Public Works estimated that the reservoir would become ineffective in 50 years due to high sedimentation of the river.

[5] The contract to build the dam and power plant was awarded to China's Sinohydro Corporation in May 2007.

[11] In July 2011, it was announced that Perusahaan Listrik Negara would oversee the construction and operation of the 110 MW power plant.

The dam will withhold a reservoir with a 980,000,000 m3 (794,499 acre⋅ft) storage capacity of which 877,000,000 m3 (710,995 acre⋅ft) is active (or 'usable') for water supply and power generation.