PM Modi visits the Afsluitdijk dam with Dutch PM Rob Jetten; India–Netherlands Letter of Intent on Gujarat's Kalpasar project
On 17 May 2026 PM Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten visited the 32-km Afsluitdijk dam, and the two sides welcomed a Letter of Intent on technical cooperation for Gujarat's Kalpasar project.
Summary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Afsluitdijk, an iconic Dutch water management structure, with Netherlands Prime Minister Rob Jetten on 17 May 2026. The Afsluitdijk is a 32-kilometre-long dam and causeway that protects large parts of the Netherlands from the North Sea and enables freshwater storage. The visit highlighted parallels with Gujarat's Kalpasar project, which aims to create a freshwater reservoir across the Gulf of Khambhat combining tidal power, irrigation and transport infrastructure. The two sides welcomed a Letter of Intent between India's Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management for technical cooperation on Kalpasar.
Key facts
- Date
- 17 May 2026
- Leaders
- Narendra Modi and Rob Jetten
- Afsluitdijk
- 32-km dam and causeway; protects against the North Sea; stores freshwater
- Kalpasar
- Freshwater reservoir across the Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat; tidal power, irrigation, transport
- Agreement
- Letter of Intent: Ministry of Jal Shakti – Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
Practice MCQs 2 questions
According to PIB, the Afsluitdijk visited by PM Modi in May 2026 is a dam and causeway of about what length?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — 32 km
PIB describes the Afsluitdijk as a 32-kilometre-long dam and causeway.
The Kalpasar project, on which India and the Netherlands agreed technical cooperation in May 2026, aims to create a freshwater reservoir across which water body?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Gulf of Khambhat
The Kalpasar project in Gujarat aims to create a freshwater reservoir across the Gulf of Khambhat.