From time immemorial to the present, the Ganges has not just been a river, but the principal carrier of religious, social, cultural and economic aspirations of people. It is a lifeline to millions of Indians who live along its course.

The new Indian Government has expressed the vision of cleaning ‘Mother Ganga’. Germany is among world’s champions for green technologies and cooperates with India in many related areas such as Energy efficiency and Green Energy Corridors. With its decades-old expertise and technical know-how, specifically  on water detoxification and cleaning, Germany is an ideal partner in this.

The German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner: 

“Until the 1980’s, Germany´s main river, ‘Father Rhine’, was biologically almost dead. In a major clean-up mission and concerted efforts by all stakeholders, the Rhine has been brought back to life again. Today, people can swim and fish once again in the Rhine. We would be honored to share our experience with India in its efforts to bring the Ganges back to its pristine glory”.

Since last year, under the patronage of German Embassy New Delhi, the German International Cooperation (GIZ), organizes a competition for journalists reporting on environmental issues in India, honoring “Green Awards” for the best journalistic entries on the positive impact of a cleaner, greener and more sustainable environment. Partners are the Asian College of Journalism, ICLEI South Asia, The Third Pole and the Deutsche Welle Akademie.

This year, in taking up the new Indian Government’s initiative, Germany will award a special prize: The “Clean Ganga Award” for the best journalistic entry on the rejuvenation of the Ganges. 

The “Clean Ganga Award” carries One Lakh Rupees plus a trip to Germany, accompanying a delegation to share experience in the water sector.

The deadline for submitting entries is August 15, 2014 (midnight Indian Standard Time).

The award will be presented by German Ambassador Michael Steiner at the IFAT India Fair in Mumbai on October 9, 2014.

For further information, please click on http://www.igep.in/e48093/e59184/

or contact Dr Shailendra Dwivedi (GIZ), Indo-German Envoronment Partnership (IGEP) Programme, Sr. Advisor-Capacity Building, Tel: 011 49495353 – ext. 2356