The aqueduct is built across the Parali river, a small river that originates in the Mahendragiri Hills of the Western Ghats. Mathoor Aqueduct itself carries water of the Pattanamkal canal for irrigation over the Parali, from one hill to another, for a distance of close to one kilometer. This aqueduct is needed because of the undulating land terrain of the area, which is also adjacent to the hills of the Western Ghats.