It is built along Kallada River in Kollam district of Kerala.

It was completed in 1986 and was commissioned on 26 May 1986 by K. Karunakaran along with Kallada Irrigation Project.

[2] The dam site is in the confluence of three major tributaries of Kallada River namely Kulathupuzha river which arises from various streams originating in Ponmudi hills, Parappar river which originates from streams originating on Windward side of Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve and Shendurney river originating from streams near Aryankavu - Sengottai Pass.

The gravity dam opens up to downstream that flow westward towards Punalur.

728 crores (at the 1999 schedule of rates) and made cost escalation tto the tune of 5,356 percent.