Kalpsar Gets Global Push, But Visionary Dr Anil Kane “Forgotten”: Expert

Ahmedabad | Gujarat — Gujarat’s ambitious Kalpsar project has finally found global momentum after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the Netherlands, but the celebration has sparked a sharp debate back home: why has the man who first envisioned the project, Dr Anil Kane, been left out of the spotlight?

The Indo-Dutch collaboration aims to draw on the Netherlands’ iconic Afsluitdijk barrier dam technology to transform the Gulf of Khambhat into a massive freshwater reservoir. While the agreement is being hailed as a breakthrough for Gujarat’s future, renowned expert Dr Pankaj Gandhi says the moment should also be one of remembrance and recognition.

“This is a matter of pride for Gujarat and India, but the system has forgotten the real visionary,” Dr Gandhi said. “In 1988, Dr Anil Kane had already proposed this exact solution to stop freshwater from flowing into the sea. Sadly, decades were lost in bureaucracy and endless feasibility studies.”

Dr Kane passed away on April 26, 2024, just as the project began gaining real traction. “He could not see his dream take shape,” Gandhi added.

Water Security and Agricultural Revolution

If completed, Kalpsar promises to reshape Gujarat’s water and agriculture landscape. The project plans to convert the marine stretch of the Gulf of Khambhat into a vast freshwater lake capable of irrigating nearly 25 lakh acres across 42 talukas in six districts of Saurashtra.

Experts say it could permanently halt seawater intrusion in the Bhal region of Bhavnagar and Bharuch, restoring soil fertility across thousands of hectares. “This project will bring unprecedented gains in irrigation, agriculture and long-term water security,” Gandhi said.

Green Energy and Mega Connectivity Boost

Beyond water, Kalpsar is being positioned as a catalyst for clean energy and connectivity. Plans include 1500 MW of wind power and 1000 MW of solar installations along the coast, with future tidal energy potential from the Gulf’s massive tidal range.

The proposed road-rail link atop the dam is expected to slash travel distance between Bhavnagar and Bharuch from 240 km to just 60 km, cutting travel time and saving fuel costs worth crores annually. The reservoir is also expected to supply massive volumes of water for cooling high-tech data centres in the Hazira-Dahej industrial belt.

“This single project can trigger an economic revolution in Gujarat,” Gandhi emphasised.

Bureaucratic Delays Under Fire

Despite the optimism, Dr Gandhi criticised what he described as decades of administrative hesitation. “The Netherlands created the IJsselmeer lake by pushing back the sea. Dr Kane proposed the same engineering logic for Gujarat decades ago, but bureaucracy kept calling it impossible.”

He added, “Thirty-five years were spent understanding a solution that was already on paper.”

Call to Honour Dr Anil Kane

With international cooperation now accelerating the project, experts say it is time to recognise its original architect.

“The government should officially acknowledge Dr Kane’s historic contribution and rename the project as the ‘Dr Anil Kane Kalpsar Yojana’,” Gandhi urged. “That would be the true tribute to the man whose vision is finally becoming reality.”