Benefits of Kalpasar Project

World’s largest man made fresh water reservoir in the  sea.

Highest importance and priority to irrigation and drinking  water for Saurashtra and Central Gujarat regions.

The Reservoir will have the storage more than double the Sardar Sarovar (Narmada Reservoir) capacity.

More than 10.54 lakh ha land in 39 talukas of 6 districts of Saurashtra region will get irrigation benefit facility including rejuvenation of rivers. More than 60 existing dams will get permanently filled up with water.

Wind and solar energy will be generated which can also be used for lifting fresh water from the reservoir to the canal.

Bhavnagar port will get revived which will result into speedy development of the region.

There will be large saving in travel time and fuel due to reduction in distance by about 200 km between Bhavnagar to Surat-Mumbai.

Saline ground water of coastal area of Saurashtra & Central Gujarat will get converted into fresh water with reduction in soil salinity.

Substaintial improvement in ground water quality as well as soil salinity of coastal area of Saurashtra & Central Gujarat.

About 2 lakh ha land along the periphery of the reservoir will be opened up for development towards value-based land utilization.

Enhanced benefit of world class industrial estate like Dahej and Dholera will be available to Bhavnagar/Saurashtra region.

Detail in Benefit:

1)     Water supply for domestic use:-

Studies have opined that the population growth would reach at a zero level     by the year 2055 and the population projection for that year amounts to 36 millio inhabitants in water deficit areas of the State.

          

Considering this the domestic and industrial water demand for the year 2055  has been estimated at 7,407 MLD or 2,700 million m³ per year.

It is planned that Kalpasar freshwater reservoir would provide 900 million m³         for domestic use.  

          2)    Irrigation from freshwater reservoir :-

After implementation of Kalpasar Project the fresh water reservoir volume   between levels -5 m Mean Sea Level to +5 m Mean Sea Level would be available.

This volume has been reassessed in recent detailed studies at 12,248 million m³, which is practically equal to the average yearly inflows of surplus waters from the rivers falling in the Gulf of Khambhat.

5,891 million meter cube of freshwater will be available for irrigation.

With the available 5,461 million m³ of water it is possible to irrigate some 1,054,500 hectares net.

10.54 lakh hectares of land is going to irrigate and about  1,19,000 hectares of saline land is also cultivate.

          3)     Water supply for industrial use :-

For industrialization water becomes one of the most important resource, particularly in the water scarce areas such as North Gujarat, East Gujarat and Kachchh, where other resources such as land, manpower etc. are also available in abundance.

500 million meter cube is provided for in the freshwater lake of Kalpasar for industrial use in the water scarce areas.

          4)    Tidal Power :-

The demand for energy in Gujarat has been growing due to increasing industrial and agricultural activities. Kalpasar, therefore, would provide a renewable and environmentally sustainable power source in Gujarat that would spearhead the economic growth in the whole of western region of the country. This project will produce 5,850 MW of pollution free power  through a hydropower .

         5.)    Land Reclamation :-

The Gulf of Khambhat is surrounded by extensive salinity affected soils, in an area of almost 400,000 ha in a belt of 20-30 km wide around Gulf with elevations below +10 m Mean Sea Level. Studies have revealed that it has been increasing at an alarming rate. In the past several attempts have been made to reclaim these soils for agricultural use.

But because of less availability of freshwater it is not possible to use the land for agriculture.

119000 ha will be used for several purposes because of this project.

        6.)    Road Communication between Central Gujarat & Saurashtra :-

By connecting Saurashtra region with the East coast of Gujarat, transport distances will be reduced by 225 Kms and will result in reduction of transport costs.

The project will serve as a tool for reduction in distance between Dahej & Ghogha and provide sizeable relief to existing road network serving Saurashtra.  Thus saving hundreds of crores of rupees will be save  which is used for fuels etc.

This would result in stimulation of the regional economic developments, reduced operating expenses, the existing highways would become less congested, increased comfort and convenience and saving of foreign exchange as consequences of reduction of the fuel costs.

From	To	Present situation	Crossing gulf of khambat	reduction
Mumbai	Bhavnagar	720 Kms	460 Kms	260 Kms
Mumbai	Jamnagar	830 Kms	720 Kms	110 Kms
Mumbai	Porbandar	930 Kms	770 Kms	160 Kms
Baroda	Bhavnagar	280 Kms	160 Kms	120 Kms
Baroda	Porbandar	490 Kms	470 Kms	20 Kms

          7.)    Waterborne transport development:-

Kalpasar reservoir would provide an excellent facility of inland navigation, along Narmada river from sea to Hoshangabad (in Madhya Pradesh) throughKalpasar Lake.

          8.)   Fisheries Development: -  

   

  On implementation of Kalpasar project the fisheries development will take    place both in fresh as well as salt-water lakes. The project provides for infrastructure investment to support two large major Carps hatcheries. It has been assessed that with an investment of Rs.1866.2 million and an annual recurring cost of Rs.208.22 million, the additional fish production of 9856 tonnes and additional income of Rs.685.22 million annually can be achieved. It has been estimated that a total of 55.21 million mandays of employment will be generated in fisheries activities.

9.)     Navigation Port Development:-

                  Under the present conditions two ports are in use in the gulf of khambat area:

                     -The all weather direct berthing port of bhavnagar.

       - The fair weather lighter age port in Dahej.

              

                     POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS WITH DAM CONSTRUCTION :-

In the case of the construction of the dam ‘ upstream ‘ of bhavnagar , the   impact on this port could be three fold:

1.)     Dam construction will impel the development of saurashtra and by the production and cargo flows.

2.)    Dam construction will bring the east bank of the gulf of khambat ( surat , bharuch , vadodara) closer to Bhavnagar . The advantages of this

3.)     development  for Bhavnagar as port will depend again on the accessibility

.

4.)    Bhavnagar and Dahej may play impoetant role in the implementation of the dam.,

       10.)   Salinity Ingress:

In Gujarat, the mining of water has increased tremendously due to the   scarce surface water availability.  Hence the water table is going down and near the coastal areas, salt water intrusion is prominent at the rate of 1 km. per year.  This further results into salt deposition in the crust rendering that land infertile and useless for cultivation.  Kalpasar due to its fresh water reservoir  will result into increase in the water table and charging of aquifers and hence ecosystem improvement will take place.  Salinity will be eradicated and fertility will be rendered to that land.

Approximate Component of Yearly return	Rs. Crore
Irrigation 2      Water supply       Irrigation on reclaimed land       Land sale of Rs. 2500 crore annualized in 10 years       Tidal power sale 12000 GWH at Rs. 2.84 per kwh       Road: Toll tax       Road: Saving in fuel       Income from fisheries	422 1460 123 250 3408 124 591 69
Total	6447/say 6450

      This gives a return of about 12 % per year.

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