S. Korea ready to export reclamation know-how to India

By Lee Joon-seung
SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is ready to export its tidal flat
reclamation know-how to India in a move that could open new bilateral
opportunities in rural development and land use, a state-run corporation said
Wednesday.
The Korea Rural Community Corp. (KRC) said if the Indian state of Gujarat opts to
push forward its Kalpasar project with South Korean cooperation, it will extend
all necessary technical assistance.
The project calls for the building of a 64-kilometer-long seawall that could
create 120,000 hectares of land, generate 5,880 megawatts of electricity by tidal
power and help make a new 16,800 cubic meter freshwater lake. The lake will be
fed by four rivers and could provide fresh water to the region that can help
agriculture production.
Construction is originally slated for 2015, with work to be completed in 2030.
KRC had signed a memorandum of understanding with Gujarat in 2007 with Indian
officials visiting the Saemangeum reclamation work in the same year.
The South Korean company had been competing with NEDECO of the Netherlands to win
the US$13 billion project in central western India.
Related to the possible winning of the project reported by a local newspaper, KRC
declined to say if it has received official confirmation from the Indian side,
but added the original plan may be scaled back.
The company said the seawall may be reduced to 34 kilometers, which is just a
kilometer longer than the Saemangeum dyke system.
"If the report is true, it will open both bilateral opportunities between South
Korea and India as well as allow the KRC to seek similar projects abroad," a
spokesperson said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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