Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa commends Namami Gange programme

The Ganga river is at the heart of Indian civilisation and our cultural and economic lifeline, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday. Modi made the remarks on Twitter, replying to a post by Rajapaksa about his Sunday's trip to Varanasi where he got the "honour" of visiting the Ganga.

"Before leaving #Varanasi, I had the honour of visiting the sacred River Ganga." "I commend PM @narendramodis #NamamiGange effort, not only because of the rivers spiritual and cultural significance but also because it is host to approximately 40%

of #Indias population," Rajapaksa tweeted, attaching a picture of his visit. In his reply, Modi said the "Ganga is at the heart of our civilisation. It is our cultural and economic lifeline".

"I am glad you spent time in Varanasi and also went along the Ganga. The experience would have been wonderful," he added. The Namami Gange programme was launched in 2014 to clean the river and improve its flow.

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