Ganges declared as India’s national river

India on Tuesday declared the river Ganges, as the country's first national river with a separate authority to monitor its cleanliness. The decision was taken at a meeting in New Delhi chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with ministries of water resource, environment, forest and urban development. The proposed authority will be chaired by the Prime Minister and chief ministers of the states through which the river flows would be its members.