India
2026-07-27
Kalpasar Project-India and Netherlands Partner to Build Gujarat Freshwater Reservoir Project
India and the Netherlands signed a historic Letter of Intent on 17 May 2026 for technical cooperation on Gujarat's ambitious Kalpasar Project — an engineering marvel that aims to build a 60.13 km dyke across the Gulf of Khambhat, creating the world's largest freshwater reservoir in a marine environment. The pact was sealed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Netherlands, where he inspected the iconic Afsluitdijk dam alongside Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. The LoI, signed between India's Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Netherlands' Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, leverages Dutch expertise in marine dam construction to overcome decades of engineering challenges. The project's DPR is at finalization stage, with construction targeted for completion in 8 years post-approval. The Rs 1,00,200 crore project will store 7,800 million cubic meters of freshwater, irrigate 10.54 lakh hectares, reduce travel distance between Saurashtra and South Gujarat from 240 km to 60 km, and generate 2,500 MW of renewable energy. The accompanying Bhadbhut barrage is already 53% complete and slated for full operation by June 2027.