Collaboration between India-Netherland is a 'landmark development' for Kalpasar project, says Gujarat CM

Ahmedabad: Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday termed the signing of the letter of intent between India and Netherlands for technical cooperation on Gujarat's Kalpasar Project a "landmark development."

Kalpasar project is an ambitious project of the state government for building a 13,000 million cubic metre freshwater reservoir in the Gulf of Khambhat by constructing a 60 km dam between Bhavnagar and Bharuch.

This is a project which was envisaged more than two than two decades ago to bring solution to water woes in Saurashtra and Kutch. But the project has not taken off yet.

In a post on X, chief minister Bhupendra Patel said that the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the iconic Afsluitdijk in Netherlands along with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jettern marked "an important step towards deepening India-Netherlands Cooperation in water management, climate resilience and sustainable infrastructure."

The post further added, "The signing of a letter of intent between India's Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Netherlands' Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management for technical cooperation on Gujarat's visionary Kalpasar Project is a landmark development."

The chief minister said that the collaboration would "open new possibilities for advanced hydraulic engineering, freshwater conservation, flood management and integrated infrastructure development in Gujarat."

He said that the Kalpasar is an "ambitious project of Gujarat which envisions creation of a massive freshwater reservoir across the Gulf of Khambhat with far-reaching benefits in irrigation, water security, tidal energy, connectivity and regional growth."

In a press release on India-Netherlands joint statement on the visit of PM Modi to Netherlands, it was stated that "both leaders agreed to further enhance cooperation on the Kalpasar Project in Gujarat, where Dutch expertise and technical assistance in the Project can lead to the further strengthening of Strategic Partnership on Water."