India, Denmark partner to rejuvenate river Varuna

India and Denmark have formed a Green Strategic Partnership under which the two governments will collaborate for establishing a Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers (SLCR).

The ministry of jal shakti will provide initial funding of Rs16.80 crore while the government of Denmark will provide a grant equivalent to Rs5 crore to support long-term sustainability of the project. 

The partnership brings together the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, the Indian Institute of Technology - Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU), and the government of Denmark, in a unique tripartite initiative for river rejuvenation and management. 

Based in Varanasi, the SLCR will leverage the expertise available in both nations to rejuvenate river Varuna, to begin with.

The aim is to utilize the services of government agencies, institutions and local communities to develop sustainable solutions to clean river water. 

It is proposed to create a hybrid lab model at the IIT-BHU and an on-field lab at the Varuna River to test and scale solutions. 

The SLCR will function under the Indo-Danish Joint Steering Committee (JSC), which will provide strategic guidance and review progress in river management.

A Project Review Committee (PRC), consisting of members from Clean Ganga Mission, Central Water Commission, Central Ground Water Board, IIT-BHU and Denmark's Urban Sector Counsellor, will oversee quality control at project level.

The project will integrate groundwater and hydrological models over the next 2-3-year to create a comprehensive river management plan, enabling real-time monitoring, data visualization tools and scenario simulations, which, in turn, will support holistic planning and water management.

The project, led by a professor from the University of Copenhagen, plans to create a detailed fingerprint library, improve water quality monitoring, and find effective remedies, over the next 18 months.

A selected stretch of the Varuna River will be used to undertake SLCR’s research programmes. Activities will also include preserving archaeological and historical heritage. 

The project will use advanced geophysical techniques and mathematical modelling to identify optimal recharge sites and recharge rates over the next 24 months.