Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the iconic Afsluitdijk water management structure in the Netherlands along with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, underlining growing cooperation between the two countries in water management, climate resilience and sustainable infrastructure.
Sharing details of the visit on X, PM Modi praised the Netherlands for its pioneering work in water resource management and said the international community could learn from the country’s experience.
“An area in which the Netherlands has done groundbreaking work is water management. The entire international community can learn a great deal from this,” the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi said the visit to the Afsluitdijk provided valuable insight into modern water infrastructure and flood management systems.
“I am grateful to Prime Minister Rob Jetten for accompanying me here. We are committed to bringing modern technology to India, which is intended to help with irrigation, flood protection and the expansion of the inland waterway network,” he added.
The Afsluitdijk, a 32-kilometre-long dam and causeway, is regarded globally as a benchmark project in flood control and land reclamation. It protects large parts of the Netherlands from the North Sea while also supporting freshwater storage.
The visit also highlighted parallels between the Dutch project and India’s proposed Kalpasar Project in Gujarat.
The Kalpasar project aims to create a large freshwater reservoir across the Gulf of Khambhat while integrating tidal power generation, irrigation and transport infrastructure.
During PM Modi’s visit, India and the Netherlands welcomed the signing of a Letter of Intent between India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management for technical cooperation on the Kalpasar project.
Officials said Dutch expertise in hydraulic engineering combined with India’s scale of implementation presents opportunities for deeper bilateral collaboration.
The visit also reinforced the India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership on Water, with both countries emphasising innovation, sustainability and climate resilience.
In another post on X, PM Modi said his Netherlands visit had added “new momentum” to bilateral relations.
“From elevating our relationship to a Strategic Partnership to expanding cooperation in water resources, semiconductors, innovation, defence, sustainability and mobility, we have charted an ambitious roadmap for the future,” he said.
The Prime Minister also thanked Prime Minister Jetten for the hospitality extended during the visit.
PM Modi arrived in The Hague on May 15 as part of his ongoing multi-nation European tour, which also includes visits to Sweden, Norway and Italy.
