Gandhinagar: Gujarat’s decade-long efforts to establish desalination as a sustainable solution for water scarcity have progressed, but significant hurdles remain. Over the past ten years, the state has seen limited expansion, with only one out of five planned desalination plants operational as of 2022. While the Dahej facility, constructed for Rs 881 crore by the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), supplies 100 million litres per day (MLD) of water to industries, the remaining plants are still under construction.
Government sources report that the four additional plants—located in Devbhumi Dwarka, Bhavnagar, Kutch, and Gir Somnath—are projected to add 370 MLD by mid-2025, catering to domestic and agricultural water needs. However, delays stem from the costly and energy-intensive reverse osmosis technology required to treat Gujarat’s highly saline seawater, which ranges between 35,000 and 60,000 parts per million (ppm).
Over the past decade, desalination has emerged as a critical component in Gujarat’s water strategy, especially as the state’s 1,600 km coastline offers potential for further expansion. Despite the state’s ambitious goals, high costs and energy demands have hindered broader implementation. Experts suggest that while the technology has made strides, sustainable energy solutions and lower operational costs are essential to long-term success. In addition to current projects, the state has proposed a new 100 MLD desalination plant in Navsari, showcased during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, signalling an ongoing commitment to addressing water shortages through desalination.
