India and the Netherlands strengthened their partnership on water management and sustainable infrastructure during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the iconic Afsluitdijk Dam. The visit also highlighted cooperation on Gujarat’s ambitious Kalpasar project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, visited the famous Afsluitdijk, one of the world’s most important water management structures.
The visit highlighted the strong partnership between India and the Netherlands in the areas of climate resilience, flood control, and sustainable infrastructure development. The Afsluitdijk is a 32-kilometer-long dam and causeway that protects large parts of the Netherlands from flooding caused by the North Sea. It also supports freshwater storage and land reclamation efforts.
During the visit, both leaders discussed similarities between the Dutch structure and India’s proposed Kalpasar Project in Gujarat. The Kalpasar project aims to create a massive freshwater reservoir across the Gulf of Khambhat while also supporting tidal power generation, irrigation, and transportation.
The two countries welcomed the signing of a Letter of Intent between India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Netherlands’ Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management for technical cooperation on the Kalpasar project.
The leaders noted that Dutch expertise in hydraulic engineering combined with India’s large-scale infrastructure capabilities could create strong opportunities for future cooperation. The visit reaffirmed the India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership on Water and emphasized the shared commitment of both nations toward innovation, sustainability, and climate-ready infrastructure.
Source: PM India
