Kalpasar (Gulf of Khambhat) Project: coastal freshwater reservoir, DPR progress and renewable energy plan
Rajya Sabha was informed that the Kalpasar (Gulf of Khambhat) Project’s DPR is in advanced finalisation, with a dam-based coastal freshwater reservoir plan and a hybrid renewable energy (about 2,470 MW) component.
- Kalpasar Project aims to store coastal freshwater by building a dam across the Gulf of Khambhat for Saurashtra’s water needs.
- DPR documents engineering design, studies, and management plans before a major water project starts implementation.
- Kalpasar Project design includes salinity management strategies to reduce saltwater movement into freshwater zones near intakes and canals.
- Indo-Dutch technical cooperation is expected to strengthen the DPR with inputs on coastal engineering, hydraulic modelling, and salinity management.
What happened (officially announced)
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary, stated that the Gujarat Government’s proposed Gulf of Khambhat (Kalpasar) Project aims to create a large coastal freshwater reservoir by building a dam across the Gulf of Khambhat.
The stated purpose of the project is to increase freshwater availability and reduce water scarcity in Saurashtra by providing a dependable water source for irrigation and other identified uses.
UPSC may treat Kalpasar as an example of integrated coastal water management—combining a dam-based freshwater reservoir, engineered measures for salinity management, and a renewable energy plan proposed to support pumping. The focus can be on how DPR-level engineering studies typically address saltwater intrusion risks and how multi-utility infrastructure (water + transport corridor + renewable generation) is presented in water-scarcity solutions.
Related dispatches
