PM Modi tours iconic Dutch dam; eyes cooperation in water management

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten, toured the iconic Afsluitdijk Dam on Sunday, as India and the Netherlands explored deeper collaboration in water management and climate-resilient infrastructure.

"An area in which the Netherlands has done groundbreaking work is water management. The entire international community can learn a great deal from this," Modi said in a social media post after the visit.

The PM further said: "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."  Calling the Afsluitdijk Dam a "symbol of excellence and innovation", the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted its role in water management, flood protection and freshwater storage.

 

"The visit highlighted the relevance of Dutch expertise for India's Kalpasar Project in Gujarat, which aims to create a freshwater reservoir and dam near the Gulf of Khambhat," the MEA said in a social media post.

"The visit underscored opportunities for deeper Indo-Dutch collaboration in climate resilience, water technology and sustainable infrastructure," it added.

Modi landed in The Hague on Friday on a two-day visit as part of a four-nation trip to Europe - which also includes Sweden, Norway and Italy - aimed at ramping up bilateral ties on a range of key areas.