The construction of the project was started in 1957 and completed in 1968. But its commissioning was in 1973. Cheerakuzhy is located at the northern part of Thrissur District and Southern side at Palakkad District. The Cheerakuzhy weir is constructed across  Gayathri river,  a major tributary of Bharathapuzha river. It consists of a masonry weir at Cheerakuzhy with a system of Irrigation canal at the left bank which caters 1200 Ha. of ayacut in Talappilly taluk  of Thrissur District. The site of the masonry weir is at the upstream of the road bridge of Pazhayannur-Thiruvilwamala road. 

The canal system is regulated by a sluice at the left side of the reservoir. This scheme is the only source of irrigation of the areas in 11 villages, named Pazhayannur, Vadakkethara, Kondazhy, Mayannur, Thozhuppadam, Panjal, Pynkulam, Cheruthuruthy, Nedumpura,Desamangalam and Kodayaur villages. This scheme is mainly intended for Mundakan crops.    

The left bank main canal system with its initial off take from the reservoir at a level of 36.12m above M.S.L. is having a total length of 50.70km.including main canal and four branches. 

The left bank main canal has got a total length of 40.90Km and 4 branch canals of length 9.8 km and it serves an ayacut of 1200 ha. The canal finally empties its residual water into the Bharathapuzha river at Kondayoor.