“The Ganges is a river of great importance to India – both religiously and practically, because it supplies water to many Indians,” Jørgensen said.

“That is why it is also very serious that it is as polluted as it is – one of the most polluted in the world – and that is why we would like to help clean it. And we have very good expertise in Denmark in water purification in particular,” he said. 

During his visit Jørgensen signed an agreement on a water purification project which will start with a study on cleaning a single section of the river. 

That study will seek to identify the sources of the pollution and how the river can be restored sustainably.

An ambition of the project is to demonstrate cleansing methods that can be used in other parts of India.

“This is clearly a huge task. The Ganges is over 2,500 kilometres long and covers over a million square metres. That’s why we’re setting about this by investigating a specific part of the river and some tributaries,” Jørgensen said.

An agreement between Denmark and India for “strategic green partnership” was made during a 2021 visit to the Asian country by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Jørgensen said the project evidenced objectives on green solutions are shared by Denmark and India.

“Denmark has the experience and the abilities and we have the size,” Modi said during a visit to Denmark last year.

The Danish development cooperation minister made comments on a similar theme on Wednesday.

“It’s correct that if we can implement some of our Danish solutions and make a big difference in a country like India, that is completely unique and beneficial to both countries,” he said.