Germany wants to help India in Ganga rejuvenation plan

Germany is the latest country to show interest in the Narendra Modi government's Ganga rejuvenation plan. The European nation has an impressive record in cleaning its rivers and has expressed readiness to join hands with the issue here.

Delhi seems keen. "Since it has successfully undertaken rejuvenation projects for rivers like the Rhine, India is considering taking the benefit of its expertise in the field," said a finance ministry official, requesting anonymity.

A team from Germany recently visited India and met finance ministry officials. It showed interest in getting exposure on public-private partnership (PPP) practices in India, including pilot schemes.

In September, the government of Australia had offered to support the Ganga rejuvenation effort. The two prime ministers had announced an extension of their agreement on water cooperation. India is also receiving financial and technical aid from Japan for cleaning the river.

Earlier, Modi had called for making Ganga rejuvenation a mass movement. He wanted action plans to unite the strength of various sections of society dedicated to "Ganga Seva." He said the first priority in this mission should be to stop fresh generation of pollutants.

Referring to his vision for solid waste management and waste water management in 500 urban centres across India, through a PPP model, he had said the first priority under this vision would be given to towns on the banks of the Ganga.

According to a Central Pollution Control Board report, around Rs 20,000 crore has already been spent by various governments on cleaning projects for the Ganga. However, the impact has been negligible.

It took almost 20 years for Germany to successfully clean the Rhine, western Europe's most important waterway. Rising in the Alps, it passes through Switzerland, Germany, France and Holland, before flowing into the North Sea.