India and Netherlands strengthen strategic partnership in water sector

New Delhi: Minister for Jal Shakti, C R Patil and Netherlands' Vice Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management, Jaap Slootmaker, met on Thursday in New Delhi as they discussed strengthening India–Netherlands cooperation in the water sector.

The two ministers held a bilateral meeting on the strategic partnership on water at Bharat Mandapam, on the sidelines of the 9th India International Water Week (IIWW) 2026.

According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the meeting provided an opportunity to review and further strengthen India–Netherlands cooperation in the water sector with particular focus on advancing technical cooperation for the Kalpasar Project in Gujarat.

As part of the bilateral engagement, two tripartite Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed to facilitate cooperation for the Kalpasar Project between the Central Water Commission (CWC), Kalpasar Department, Government of Gujarat, and Dutch knowledge institutions Deltares and TU Delft.

Speaking on the occasion, Patil said that he was pleased to see Deltares and TU Delft entering into MoUs with their Indian counterparts to deepen cooperation in the execution of the Kalpasar Project and capacity building. He expressed confidence that the MoUs would provide a strong basis for both countries to work together towards the successful execution of the project.

The minister noted that the Kalpasar Project was discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Netherlands in May, following which a Letter of Intent for technical cooperation was signed on May 16. He said that the project envisages the creation of a freshwater reservoir using runoff from the Sabarmati, Mahi and Dhadhar rivers, supplemented by water conveyed from the Narmada River.

He also highlighted that during the Indian delegation’s visit to the Netherlands in July, valuable insights were received in areas including flood protection, coastal infrastructure, hydraulic modelling, sluice and pumping systems, dyke technologies and ecological solutions. He noted that there were useful parallels with the Afsluitdijk in the Netherlands, particularly in terms of engineering, water management and coastal infrastructure

Vice Minister Slootmaker highlighted the importance of the Letter of Intent for technical cooperation on the Kalpasar Project and the opportunities it presents for further India–Netherlands cooperation. Referring to the Afsluitdijk, he said that the structure is nearly 100 years old and is now being renewed, providing an opportunity for the Netherlands to share the experience and knowledge accumulated over the past century

“The MoUs will facilitate technical collaboration through sharing of Dutch expertise and advanced engineering practices for the planning, design and implementation of the project,” stated the Ministry.

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