Ganga will be cleaned in two years

Union Jal Shakti (water power) Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said that capacity building programmes were underway on the river Ganga - which is considered sacred by Hindus and is the lifeline for millions of Indians - and visible changes will be seen in the next two years.

"It is being asked why Ganga has not been cleaned in the past four years. The capacity building programmes are going on with full speed. As many as 98 of the total 298 projects undertaken have almost been completed," he said.

"In the next two years, you will see significant changes."

"People need to understand the usefulness of the river. We need partnership between government and people. There should be a public movement."

Shekhawat claimed deaths from unhygienic conditions around the river basis had decreased to by a third from 300,000 before 2014, owing to the Swachh Bharat mission.