'Waterman' for national river policy to resolve water disputes

Magsaysay award winner Rajendra Singh, popularly known as "waterman," today requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take initiative for the formulation of a national river policy so that disputes related to water of these bodies can be resolved.
Addressing a gathering on the issue of demand for water, Singh said chief ministers should also extend cooperation to the PM for formulation of such a policy.
Singh said disputes related to river water between states have not been resolved so far since Independence and suggested a river policy to serve as a guideline for solving such conflicts.
He said he had given a proposal to the Union government for resolution of the rivers water issue, but unfortunately no action has been taken on it.

The water policy formulated by the Bihar government does not fulfil the needs of people devoid of water, he added.
Singh, who had come here to participate in the discussion organised by non-governmental body ADRI (Asian Development Research Institute), also said a committee will be formed at the end of the meet to prepare a draft after studying the state's water policy.