India and Germany will work together to refurbish the Ganges river.
The two nations signed an agreement that will enable responsible stakeholders at national and state levels to apply an integrated approach to the rejuvenation of the river. The agreement will apply approaches that were successfully used for cleaning other rivers in Germany like the Rhine and Danube.
In India, the river Ganges is used as a source of water, a place to bathe, a place for religious practices, a location for boats, a place to clean things as well as a sanitation system for human and animal waste. Because of the various and heavy uses, the Ganges is experiencing water quality deterioration even as the water level is at its lowest in 5 years. The cities and towns located on the banks of Ganges are most affected with some areas are unfit for bathing.
India, Germany join hands to clean river #Gangahttps://t.co/1oOWB2Yu4Npic.twitter.com/v5YqMgIswT
— EconomicTimes (@EconomicTimes) April 13, 2016
The agreement between Indian the Ministry of Water Resources and German International Cooperation (GIZ) aims to make the Ganges pristine over the next three years.
Germany’s involvement in the Namami Gange Programme brings in its vast experience in cleaning and rejuvenating European rivers. Germany will provide knowledge and ideas as well as encompass effective data management, practical experience, and public engagement.
Dr. Martin Ney, the German Ambassador to India, said that Germany understands the devotion and cultural importance of river Ganga and will do its best to bring back “Mother Ganga to its pristine glory”.
Shashi Shekhar, India’s Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation secretary, believes that the German technological knowledge and advancements will accelerate the process of ridding Ganges of pollution.
India will also cooperate with other national and international initiatives including other Indo-German projects like Support to National Urban Sanitation Policy (SNUSP) and Sustainable Environment-friendly Industrial Production (SEIP).
The Ganges river is crucial to the health and success of India. Hopefully international agreements and cooperations like this will be a turning point for this crucial water supply.