India, Netherlands Sign Pact for Kalpasar Project

India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Netherlands’ Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management signed a Letter of Intent on 17 May 2026 for technical cooperation on Gujarat’s Kalpasar Project. The project concerns a freshwater reservoir and dam across the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat.

Kalpasar Project

The Kalpasar Project is a proposed multipurpose water infrastructure project in Gujarat. It plans to create a freshwater reservoir by constructing a dam across the Gulf of Khambhat. The project also includes tidal power generation, irrigation facilities, and transport connectivity between Saurashtra and South Gujarat.

Technical Cooperation with the Netherlands

The Netherlands is providing technical expertise and water management experience for the project. The cooperation draws on Dutch engineering experience with the Afsluitdijk Dam, a 32-km-long dam in the Netherlands that converted a saline gulf into a freshwater reservoir. The agreement is linked to the India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership on Water, which covers water management, climate adaptation, and sustainable infrastructure.

Project Features and Coverage

The Kalpasar Project aims to trap freshwater from seven rivers that flow into the Gulf of Khambhat. It is projected to provide irrigation benefits to about 10 lakh hectares of land across 42 talukas in nine districts of Saurashtra. The project also seeks to reduce the travel distance between South Gujarat and Saurashtra from about 240 kilometres to around 60 kilometres.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Gulf of Khambhat is also known as the Gulf of Cambay and lies on the western coast of India in Gujarat.
• The Afsluitdijk Dam is one of the best-known water engineering projects in the Netherlands.
• Freshwater reservoir projects are used for irrigation, drinking water supply, and flood management.
• Gujarat has a long coastline and several river systems that support large-scale water infrastructure projects.

Water Management Context

The India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership on Water is a bilateral framework for cooperation in water-related sectors. It includes technical exchange on climate-resilient infrastructure, water governance, and sustainable water use.