Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051213610400.htm

New Delhi

Soz confident Mulayam will relent on water to Delhi

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz on Thursday sounded confident that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav would relent and release water for Delhi.

The Water Resources Ministry has been vigoursly pursuing Delhi's case with the U.P. Chief Minister to being relief to the water starved citizens.

It is understood that in the last three months Prof Soz had written to Mr Yadav several times and also spoken to him a number of times to persuade him to release water for Delhi's Sonia Vihar plant that has been lying idle for lack of water.

In a letter written recently, Prof Soz suggested that keeping in mind the needs of Uttar Pradesh as well, Mr Yadav could release at least 200 cusecs of water, if not 300 cusecs that had been Delhi's demand for a long time. Mr Yadav had assured the Minister that he would release some water and Mr Soz was certain that his efforts would bear results and the Chief Minister would finally relent.