New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS): Chief Justice of India Tirath Singh Thakur on Sunday described as "very ambitious" the Narendra Modi government's project to clean Ganga and assured that the judiciary would be supportive and not an impediment to it.

"Ganga cleaning is very ambitious," he said, adding that the issue is "how honestly it is carried forward" but also noted that the government seems to be serious about it and has earmarked Rs.20,000 crore for the project.

Urging involvement of the people in the execution of the project, Chief Justice Thakur, who was interacting with media persons after taking charge, said people have to be made aware of it and educated.

Pointing to the civilisational and cultural links with the Hindu holy river, he said people from far and wide come to the banks of Ganga to perform the last rites of their beloved ones.

The exercise of cleaning Ganga could not be "overnight" and it would be in "stages only", the chief justice said stressing that it involves addressing the problem of industrial and city waste flowing into it.

People will have to be made aware of it, he said. He assured that there was nothing adversarial between the government and the court, which was willing to extend whatever help it could extend in the successful implementation of the Ganga cleaning plan.