Overview
- India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Netherlands’ Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management signed a Letter of Intent on Sunday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to share technical know-how for Gujarat’s Kalpasar plan.
- Modi toured the 32-kilometre Afsluitdijk with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, and India’s foreign ministry framed the stop as support for water management, climate resilience and sustainable infrastructure.
- Kalpasar would close the Gulf of Khambhat with a dam to hold freshwater from seven rivers for irrigation and drinking supply.
- Gujarat’s projections say the scheme could irrigate about 10 lakh (one million) hectares, shorten the South Gujarat–Saurashtra road link from 240 km to 60 km, and add roughly 1,500 MW of wind and 1,000 MW of solar capacity.
- The pact advances planning rather than construction, with expert groups under discussion, prior inputs from Dutch firm Royal HaskoningDHV noted, and major engineering, environmental and financing steps still ahead.