Thursday December 10, 1998. Hydroplus, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GTM (Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux Group), signed a contract December 9 with the State of Gujarat (55 million inhabitants), India, for the modernization of eight existing dams. The project will provide a better safety guarantee for downstream inhabitants in case of unusually high waters, while increasing the region's irrigation capacity. The technique to be used, known as "surge gates", designed and developed by Hydroplus, will increase the current water storage capacity by 30 percent (50 million cubic meters). The present contract, the third obtained in India by Hydroplus since 1992, will increase irrigated land in the region to 250,000 acres.

This contract highlights Groupe GTM's innovative technical vitality and illustrates the Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux Group's desire to develop forcefully its activity in India, particularly in water resource-related development activities and management services, in favor of the most deprived populations.