India and Germany have signed an Implementation Agreement for Ganga Rejuvenation under the Namami Gange Programme in New Delhi.
It was signed between the Union Ministry of Water Resources and German International Cooperation (GIZ) of Germany.
Key facts
- The objective of the agreement is to enable responsible stakeholders at state and national level to apply integrated river basin management approach for the rejuvenation of the Ganga River.
- This approach will be based on Indo-German Knowledge (IGK) exchange and practical experience on strategic river basin management issues, public engagement and effective data management system.
- The project under it will closely cooperate with other international and national initiatives including Indo-German bilateral projects like Sustainable Environment-friendly Industrial Production (SEIP) and Support to National Urban Sanitation Policy (SNUSP).
- The project duration is of three years i.e. from 2016 to 2018 and the German contribution in the project will be to the tune of 22.5 crore rupees.
- Initial actions of the project will focus on Uttarakhand State with scope of expansion to other upstream Ganga States.
- The ultimate goal of this project is to adopt the successful river basin management strategies used for Rhine and Danube. It will replicate the same strategies wherever possible for attaining the pristine status of Ganga River.