The Kalpasar Project envisages building a dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 across the Gulf of Khambat for generating tidal power

Tidal power

Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity....

 and for establishing a huge reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 for fresh water

Fresh Water

Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...

 for irrigation

Irrigation

Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...

, drinking and industrial purposes. A road link will also be set up over the dam, greatly reducing the distance between Saurashtra and South Gujarat.

History

The Gulf of Khambhat was identified as a promising site for tidal power generation by UNDP Expert, Mr. Eric Wilson in the year 1975. In 1988-89 a reconnaissance report was prepared for the dam across the Gulf of Khambhat. The report concluded that, assuming sound foundation conditions, the closure of the Gulf was technically feasible.

In January 2002, it was reported that construction will begin in 2011.http://www.projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=3407

Economics

A state government

Government of Gujarat

The Government of Gujarat also known as the State Government of Gujarat, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Gujarat and its 26 districts...

 release said the Rs 55,000 crore (US$ 11.7 billion) project, to be completed by 2020, will have a vast fresh water reservoir with gross storage of 16,791 million cubic metres of water, 35 km long dam across the Gulf of Khambhat connecting Ghogha

Ghogha

Ghogha is a census town in Bhavnagar district in the state of Gujarat, India.informational about ghoghaGhogha is located at . It has an average elevation of around sea level....

 in Bhavnagar

Bhavnagar

-Topography:Bhavnagar is a coastal city in the eastern coast of Saurashtra, also known as Kathiawar, located at . It has an average elevation of 24 metres . It occupies area of 53.30 km². General slope dips in the northeasterly direction at the apex of Gulf of Khambhat...

 with Hansot in Bharuch District

Bharuch district

Bharuch in India, is a district in the southern part of the Gujarat peninsula on the west coast of state of Gujarat with a size and population comparable to that of Greater Boston...

, reducing the distance between the two by 225 km. It will have tidal power generation house with an installed capacity of 5,880 MW. Another estimate was given by the Government in October, 2010 which stated the proposed dam to be build just north of Bhavnagar in the west to Alandar in Dahej on the east. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gujarat-plans-first-over-the-sea-dam/articleshow/6811046.cms

Current status

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 alignment of kalpsar has been changed towards north between Kalatalao,Bhavnagar to Aladar,Dahej near Bharuch.Idea of tidal power project is dropped.Only fresh water reservoir is proposed.Narmada river is excluded but its water will be diverted to kalpsar by constructing a check dam near Bhadbhut,Bharuch;with an about 30 km long,one lac cusacs canal off taking from it to kalpsar.Plan of fresh water distribution is changed and now focused to Saurashtra.