Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa that the River Ganga is at the heart of Indian civilisation and our cultural and economic lifeline, after the latter commended Modi for the "Namami Gange effort".
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."The Namami Gange programme was launched in 2014 to clean the river and improve its flow.