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.
The written reply also stated that the project includes a proposed highway-cum-rail corridor over the dam and that the project’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) is at an advanced stage of finalisation. The reply added that ongoing Indo-Dutch technical cooperation is expected to strengthen the DPR with international best practices and technical expertise in coastal engineering, hydraulic modelling, salinity management, climate resilience, and water management.
On renewable energy, the reply stated that the project envisages development of approximately 2,470 MW of hybrid renewable energy capacity on reclaimed land that is submerged during high tide. The stated plan is to use the renewable power, inter alia, for pumping freshwater to meet irrigation requirements in coastal regions of Saurashtra.
Background and earlier position
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