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By the River (2017 | Issue 4)

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Germany has a long-standing development partnership with India. In May 2000, both countries adopted the Agenda for the Indo-
German Partnership in the 21st Century“, laying the foundation for a strategic partnership. They have been working together in
various elds, including, more recently, in vocational training, renewable energies and urban mobility. The year 2018 will mark 60
years of Indo-German development cooperation. What’s Up, Germany? takes a look at a speci c area of Indo-German cooperation:
cleaning up the river Ganga.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Namami Gange Programme”, an ambitious initiative to clean the Ganga, has Germany’s full support.
Back in April 2015, when the Indian prime minister met Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel at the Hannover Fair, Ganga rejuvenation
featured high on the agenda.

IN AGREEMENT

The year 2016 saw the signing of an implementation agreement between the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation and the German Development Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ) , on behalf of the Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development, under the “Namami Gange Programme”. The agreement was signed in the presence of the
German Ambassador to India, Dr Martin Ney, and the secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources, Shashi Shekhar. Over the course
of three years—from 2016 to 2018—Germany will provide technical expertise and contribute ₹22.5 crore towards the clean-up of the
Ganga, starting with Uttarakhand.

The German development approach is based on three key factors:

1. The focus will rst be on urban sewage management along the stretch of the river in Uttarakhand, and will later expand to other
states. GIZ, the implementing agency, has already begun work upstream in Uttarakhand in collaboration with the State Project
Management Group (SPMG). The aim is to identify pollution hot-spots in a more e ective manner and eradicate pollution resulting
largely from domestic and industrial sources. Assessment studies of wastewater treatment plants have also been undertaken.

2. Indo-German development cooperation will follow a comprehensive and holistic approach: it will concentrate on the whole river
basin and work together with stakeholders at the national and state level. The idea is to enable these stakeholders to apply an
integrated river basin management approach for the rejuvenation of the Ganga, which includes unpolluted ow (nirmal dhara) as well
as continuous ow (aviral dhara). This will happen through Indo-German knowledge exchange and practical experience in strategic
river basin management issues, effective data collection and public outreach. Industries will play an extremely important role here.

3. Waste management systems, including solid waste management, is also a priority. Germany already provides support to cities in
Uttarakhand to improve their sanitation management. The industrial sector in the state gets technical cooperation of ₹11.1 crore
towards bettering its waste management practices and reducing wastewater discharge.
The implementation agreement for Ganga rejuvenation functions in close cooperation with other Indo-German bilateral projects like
Support to National Urban Sanitation Policy (SNUSP) II and Sustainable Environment-friendly Industrial Production (SEIP).

UTTARAKHAND FIRST

At the end of August 2017, Ambassador Dr Ney visited Uttarakhand. He conveyed Germany’s interest in setting up sewage treatment
and management plants in Haridwar and Rishikesh. During his meeting with Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on 1st September,
Dr Ney announced that the German Development Bank (KfW) will provide financial assistance of around ₹900 crore to ramp up the
infrastructure of sewage treatment plants in the twin cities.

GERMAN EXPERTISE

Since Germany has successfully cleaned up the Rhine, Danube and Elbe rivers, its technical know-how and experience will go a long
way in India’s river rejuvenation efforts. The goal is to adopt successful river basin management strategies used for European rivers
and, wherever possible, replicate them in India. But one needs to be realistic. Cleaning the Ganga is a massive task. Breathing life back
into this toxic and complex ecosystem will require time and consistent effort, as it did with the Rhine.

SUPPORT TO NATIONAL URBAN

SANITATION POLICY (SNUSP) II

When you look at India’s population growth, it’s not surprising that its water supply and wastewater management systems have not
been able to keep pace. Only 10 percent of its cities and towns have a sewage network. So, the untreated wastewater flows into
surface water and groundwater, contaminating both. SNUSP II, a joint project between the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD)
and GIZ, supports five Indian states—Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana and Uttarakhand—to take effective measures
to deal with wastewater and municipal solid waste. SNUSP II applies tested solutions on a national, state and city level from the first
SNUSP project.

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (SEIP)

India is looking at enhancing industrial growth while also protecting the environment. This is where SEIP comes in. This joint project of
GIZ and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is part of the broader Indo-German technical cooperation. With a
budget of €6.5 million, it supports Indian public and private stakeholders in jointly implementing strategies for environment-friendly
industrial development. The focus is on dealing with national-level environmental problems, in particular, industrial wastewater and
solid waste management. The idea is to showcase successful business and management models that combat industrial pollution,
which can then be replicated nationwide. Delhi, Gujarat and Uttarakhand are currently participating in this project.

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