Gujarat Government Updates Assembly on Kalpasar Project Status
The Gujarat government provided a significant update on the long-awaited Kalpasar project during a state assembly session on Tuesday. In response to a starred question from Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar, officials confirmed that the detailed project report (DPR) is currently at the finalization stage.
Timeline and Funding Details Revealed
According to a written government reply, once the DPR is finalized and receives necessary approvals from both state and Union governments, the project is planned to be completed within eight years after construction begins. The government disclosed that an allocation of Rs 2 crore per year has been made for the project during the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Historical Context and Project Vision
The Kalpasar project, first announced in the 1980s, represents one of Gujarat's most ambitious infrastructure initiatives. It envisions constructing a 30-kilometer dam across the Gulf of Khambhat to create a massive freshwater coastal reservoir. This reservoir is designed to serve multiple critical purposes:
- Providing irrigation water for agricultural needs
- Supplying drinking water to communities
- Meeting industrial water requirements across the region
Project Specifications and Additional Benefits
The proposed reservoir will have an impressive storage capacity of 10 billion cubic meters of freshwater, addressing long-standing water scarcity challenges in the area. Beyond water management, the project includes a substantial transportation component: a 10-lane road link will be constructed over the dam structure.
This infrastructure addition promises to significantly reduce travel distance between Saurashtra and south Gujarat, potentially transforming regional connectivity and economic integration. The dual-purpose nature of the project—combining water resource development with transportation infrastructure—makes it a cornerstone of Gujarat's future development plans.
The government's detailed response to MLA Parmar's inquiry provides the most current official timeline for this decades-old project, marking a potential turning point in its implementation journey.
