India and Netherlands Sign Two Kalpasar Water Project Cooperation Agreements

India and the Netherlands have signed two tripartite memoranda of understanding to support technical work on Gujarat’s proposed Kalpasar water project, India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti said on September 24. The agreements bring together the Central Water Commission, the Gujarat government’s Kalpasar Department and Dutch institutions Deltares and TU Delft.

The signing followed a bilateral meeting in New Delhi during India International Water Week, chaired by India’s Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil and Dutch Vice Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management Jaap Slootmaker. The ministry described the agreements as a framework for technical cooperation and capacity building, rather than an announcement that construction has begun.

The proposed project envisages a freshwater reservoir drawing on runoff from the Sabarmati, Mahi and Dhadhar rivers, with additional water conveyed from the Narmada. The ministry said the cooperation will cover areas including hydraulic and hydrological modelling, coastal and structural engineering, climate resilience, technical review and knowledge transfer.

Officials also discussed ecological considerations, including fish migration, and lessons from Dutch water infrastructure. India and the Netherlands signed a letter of intent on Kalpasar technical cooperation in May 2026. The new agreements move that engagement into more specific institutional work, while the project’s design and implementation remain separate steps.