Kanpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the first meeting of the National Ganga Council here on Saturday and said that rejuvenation of the river should be a shining example of cooperative federalism. He also reviewed the progress of works under the ambitious Namami Gange project in the stretch of the river that is considered the most polluted, and deliberated on various aspects of cleaning the river with focus on 'swachhta', 'aviralta' and 'nirmalta'.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, at the meeting Modi observed that the Ganga is the holiest river in the sub-continent and its rejuvenation should embody a shining example of cooperative federalism. Noting that the rejuvenation of the river has been a long-pending challenge for the country, he said a lot has been accomplished since his government took up the Namami Gange project in 2014 as a comprehensive initiative integrating various governmental efforts and activities to abate pollution, and conserve and rejuvenate the river.