India and Netherlands sign two tripartite MoUs on Gujarat's Kalpasar Project

24 September 2026

Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil and the Netherlands' Vice Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management Jaap Slootmaker chaired a bilateral meeting on the Strategic Partnership on Water at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 24 September 2026, on the sidelines of the 9th India International Water Week (IIWW) 2026. Two tripartite MoUs were signed for the Kalpasar Project in Gujarat between the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Kalpasar Department of the Government of Gujarat and the Dutch institutions Deltares (technical support) and TU Delft (capacity building and training). The Kalpasar Project envisages a freshwater reservoir using runoff from the Sabarmati, Mahi and Dhadhar rivers, supplemented by water from the Narmada. A Letter of Intent for technical cooperation was signed on 16 May 2026 during the Prime Minister's visit to the Netherlands. Both sides drew parallels with the Afsluitdijk in the Netherlands, a nearly 100-year-old structure now being renewed.