Germany keen to offer expertise for Ganga clean-up mission

NEW DELHI: Germany is keen to offer its expertise for the Ganga clean-up mission by bringing in the experience of cleaning Rhine river there.

"Rejuvenation and cleaning of the river Ganga is one of the top priorities of Indian government. We are now just in the phase where we are going to see how we are going to assist the Indian government in this important endeavour," Heiko Warnken, head of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany, said on the sideline of a seminar.

"We wil soon have a mission who will be coming to India with experts from Germany. We have also cleaned the river Rhine in Germany. We will see how we can assist in the Ganga mission," Warnken said.

According to a 2012 Central Pollution Control Board report, around Rs 20,000 crore has been spent by the government on various clean-up projects for the Ganga but with very little impact.

Warknken said they have been approached by Indian Water Resource Ministry for the Ganga cleaning programme. Asked how much fund will be provided by Germany, Warnken said "this is too early to say... we have to see what is needed to be done".

Asked whether there will be a timeline for the Ganga clean-up as it has a long 2500km riverline, he said "Rhine is also a long river which comes from Switzerland to Germany. It took almost 10 years to clean Rhine."

To a question whether Rhine experience will be replicated in the Ganga, he said "we do not know whether it will be immedaitely replicated, it will take some adjustments of course. But definitely some lessons learnt from the river Rhine and experience can be of use."