Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands on May 16–17, 2026, resulted in a historic upgrade of bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership (2026–2030). While there was a landmark technology partnership between Tata Electronics and Dutch equipment major ASML for semiconductor manufacturing in India, both nations finalized a Green Hydrogen Roadmap and a Critical Minerals Cooperation agreement to secure supply chains.
PM Modi also made a walk on the massive Afsluitdijk causeway and dam that stretches 32 kilometres long and 90 meters wide, separating the salty Wadden Sea from the freshwater IJsselmeer lake. This wasn’t a tourism stop. PM Modi had a plan. It was a flashback to the ambitious multipurpose mega-infrastructure initiative the Kalpasar Project (Gulf of Khambhat Development Project) he had driven as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Afsluitdijk Flood Protection and Land Reclamation Project
The causeway dam built between 1927 and 1932, was designed to protect the Dutch interior from catastrophic North Sea floods and to convert a massive saltwater inlet (the Zuiderzee) into a freshwater lake (IJsselmeer). An engineering marvel, the dyke was built by dredging material directly onto the seafloor, later reinforced with rocks, sand, clay, and grass.
The inland side is heavy stone; the seaward side is boulder clay with brushwood mattresses above, weighed down by basalt boulders and old concrete. A layer of armour-stone, composed of basalt rock, was utilized on the outer slope.
Work started at four points: on both sides of the mainland and on two specially made construction-islands (Kornwerderzand and Breezanddijk) along the line of the future dyke. Ten thousand workers, 27 large dredges, 13 floating cranes, 132 barges, and 88 tugs worked on the project at the end, timed to close the dyke at low tide; it was finished on 28 May 1932. The amount of material used is estimated at 23 million cu metre of sand and 13.5 million cu metre of till. On 25 September 1933, the Afsluitdijk was officially opened, with a monument designed by architect Willem Marinus Dudok marking the spot where the dyke had been closed.
Besides the dyke itself, they constructed two complexes of shipping locks at both ends and had a series of discharge sluices. The dam had to cater for waves of up to 3.5 metres. A 1937 storm revealed that the crest height had to be increased to 7.4 metres. There were more storms to contend with in decades ahead.
During World War II, (12 and 13 May 1940) the dam was the site of the Battle of the Afsluitdijk, where Fort Kornwerderzand became the only Dutch line of defence that successfully withstood a German Army (Wehrmacht) attack.
The dam carries the A7 highway which is a major road connection between Amsterdam and the rest of North Holland and on towards northern Germany drastically reducing distance. Approximately 20,000 vehicles drive on the Afsluitdijk daily, with a speed limit of 130 km/h.
The Dutch government built extensive reinforcement projects and specialized pumps to protect and sustain the structure. The dam height has been repeatedly increased over the years.
Provision for a railway line linking North Holland and Friesland had been included in the form of a linear reservation, along with extra drawbridge abutments at the locks. However, construction of the line was never undertaken by the Dutch track operator (Proail), for reasons of cost and relative lack of benefits.
Kalpasar Project Background
The Kalpasar Project entails building a 60 km dam across the Gulf of Khambhat to trap river runoff, creating the world’s largest freshwater coastal reservoir in a marine environment.
The Gulf of Khambhat was identified as a promising site for tidal power generation by UNDP Expert, Mr. Eric Wilson in the year 1975. Successive governments were then presented in detail the possibility of a project, aptly named Kalpasar Project by its visionary Dr. Anil Kane, who conceptualised it in the 80s as a feasible project. In 1988–89 a reconnaissance report was prepared for the dam across the Gulf of Khambhat. The report concluded that, assuming sound foundation conditions, the closure of the Gulf was technically feasible.
Kalpasar Project Gujarat It will establish a huge fresh water coastal reservoir for irrigation, drinking and industrial purposes. The project entails construction of the main “Kalpasar dam” across the Gulf of Khambat and another Bhadbhut barrage on Narmada River, as well as a canal connecting the two.
The dam would have a projected storage capacity of 10-13 billion cubic meters of fresh water equating to 25 percent of Gujarat’s average annual rainwater flow. It will harness surplus rainwater from rivers like the Narmada, Mahi, Sabarmati, and Dhadhar. The project, which will create the world’s largest freshwater lake in marine environment. It is designed to provide reliable, year-round water supplies, irrigating around 1 million hectares across 42 talukas and nine districts in the water-scarce Saurashtra region.
The dam’s crest is planned to feature a massive 140 meter wide corridor supporting multi-lane highways and railway tracks. The 10 lane road link will reduce the travel distance between Saurashtra and South Gujarat from presently 240 km to just 60 km.
The tidal currents of the Gulf will be leveraged to generate power, with additional goals to integrate 1,500 MW of wind energy and 1,000 MW of solar energy.
As of 2026, the Gujarat government has spent ₹216.50 crore directly on feasibility and preliminary studies for the main Kalpasar Dam project. Additionally, the state has spent close to ₹1,500 crore over the past few years on the Bhadbhut barrage, which commenced execution as a smaller, fast-tracked component of the larger Kalpasar scheme.
The Cost and Complexity
The project is estimated to cost well over ₹90,000 – ₹92,000 crore ($9.5 billion). Due to the complex, high-energy tidal environment of the Gulf (with tides reaching up to 10 meters), achieving “closure methodology” is highly technical. The state government is utilizing technical assistance and engineering expertise from Dutch maritime specialists (such as Royal Haskoning) to navigate these hydrological challenges and design the barrage structure.
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Kalpasar Project is in its finalization stage. The project, if found feasible, will take at least 12 to 15 years of construction (by 2038-41) to complete. Environmental clearances could see challenges, but the determined government will get approvals as they managed in the Greater Nicobar Infrastructure (GNI) project. Meanwhile the construction of the Bhadbhut barrage, which is a smaller component of the project, commenced in 2020.
To Summarise
Kalpasar means a lake that fulfills all the wishes (कल्प+सर). The construction of the word is similar to कल्पवृक्ष, the Hindu mythological ‘KalpaVriksha’ (कल्पवृक्ष) – wishing tree.
Kalpasar is considered the evident solution for solving on the short as well as on the long term the threatening drinking and irrigation water problems in Saurashtra.
More than 30,000 MCM (million cu meters) of water from Narmada River alone flows out annually into the sea due to the lack of storage capacity and dams, thus experts have been calling for a review of Gujarat‘s Water Policy to expedite the Kalpasar Project. Few more similar projects are on the anvil to harness the surplus flood waters of Indian rivers.
Once the Gulf is closed, water levels within the reservoir can be controlled while the tidal fluctuation outside the reservoir continues and, hence, can be harnessed for the generation of tidal energy. It will have a tidal power generation house with an installed capacity of 5,880 MW.
In addition to fresh water storage and tidal power generation, Kalpasar also aims at land reclamation, transportation improvements and fisheries development. This project will resolve four vital problems of the State of Gujarat which are water, electrical power, road-rail transport and development of ports.
In 2017, the revised project plan suggested reduced size of lake with only 30 km sea dam instead of original plan of 64 km long dam. The Tidal power project has been removed from the scope, which could be taken up as a separate project.
With the proposed realigned “Kalpasar dam” further north, the Narmada River will not flow directly into the Kalpasar dam. Instead Narmada‘s water will be diverted to Kalpasar dam by constructing another 1.7 km long causeway-cum-weir barrage of 600 million cubic meter storage capacity 25 km upstream of Narmada‘s mouth before it enters the sea near Bhadbhut in Bharuch district. This barrage will help prevent saltwater intrusion in Narmada River.
To transfer the water of Narmada River from “Bhadbhut barrage” to “Kalpasar dam”, a new 30 km long canal with one lac cusecs water carrying capacity will be constructed. The other ecological and environmental issues to be addressed as part of various feasibility studies being undertaken.
Various canals and channels will be built in the Saurashtra to irrigate the farms from “Kalpasar dam”. Narmada River, one of the 111 waterways in India which facilitate water transport in India, could one day have capacity class IV ships.
The benefits for irrigation in 9 districts of Saurashtra, land reclamation of about 176867 hectares in the periphery of the gulf, reduction in salinity in peripheral coastal regions, tourism, fisheries development, and Renewable Energy for power source are huge benefits.
India’s economy is growing. Funds can be allotted. The cost to benefit ratio is huge. The project will greatly boost regional development. It will act as a test project for more river basins. Water scarcity will be the cause of future global wars. Generating drinking water through desalination plants is an expensive option. Surplus potable water could even be transported to other regions of the country. The time to act is now – it is never too late.
Header Picture Credit: Representative Image Generated using AI
Twitter: @AirPowerAsia