Kalpasar project further delayed for a year

The Kalpasar project of the Gujarat government, which envisages building of dam over the Gulf of Khambhat to establish huge reservoir, will commence in 2012, a year later than expected.
M S Patel, Secretary Kalpasar project, Government of Gujarat, said: “The project has been put on the fast track and will commence by 2012. It will take around seven years to complete it.”
In 2008, B N Navalawala, advisor to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, had said the project would be launched by 2010-11. The new announcement was made while Patel was addressing a workshop on groundwater management in the coastal areas of Gujarat.
The emphasis was also put on salinity ingress in the Saurashtra region. “It is reported that an area of 7,000 sq km is affected by salinity due to inundation by tidal waters,” said R C Jain, Regional director, Central Ground Water Board, Gujarat.

Kalpasar project on fast track

GANDHINAGAR: In a major step towards putting the Kalpasar project on fast track, the Gujarat government last week commissioned a bathymetric and geotechnical study of the entire oceanic space in order to ascertain its different layers, including fault-lines.

The study, to be completed by January 2012, will closely study tidal currents and the type of sediments found in the base and how they would impact the dam, to be built across the Gulf to create the huge lake, which will receive waters from dozen-odd rivers, including Narmada.

Based on the study, the NIOT will be able to carry out a hydro-dynamic model of the Gulf, a sedimentation transport model, a model showing river waters flowing into the Gulf, a model showing the amount sweet water flows into the Gulf even as quantifying the sea water, a model for creating a new barrage on the Narmada water to divert Narmada waters into the Gulf, and the type of dam required to be built across the Gulf.

Narendra Modi plans Rs 50,000 Cr Kalpasar Dam

The 35-kilometre dam project named Alignment would lead to a sweet water reservoir. Besides, it will also have a road and rail overbridge, which will reduce the distance between Bhavnagar and Surat by 200 kilometre.

While, the main dam help generate tidal power, the reservoir is expected to supply water for drinking and agricultural purposes.

“The project envisages dam and road and rail overbridge from just north of Bhavnagar in the west coast of Gulf of Cambay to Alandar in Dahej in the east coast. Though final cost is to be worked out in detail, it will be over Rs 50,000 crore,” a senior state government official said.

The timeframe will be decided once the environmental and other clearances come. The Gujarat government has already set up a dedicated department for the project — the Kalpasar department.

“Besides creating a fresh water reservoir in the northern portion of the Gulf of Khambat, the road and rail overbridge will reduce the distance from Bhavnagar and Surat to 150 kilometre from the existing 350 kilometre,”