Bihar-Jharkhand Sone River Water Dispute Resolved After 25 Years
Bihar and Jharkhand reach historic agreement on Sone River water sharing.
The long-standing dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand over the distribution of Sone River water, which persisted for nearly two and a half decades, has been resolved through a formal agreement. The Bihar Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, approved the draft of the pact on Tuesday, clearing the path for its official signing by the chief secretaries of both states in the near future. The Bihar government has formally notified the Central government about the development.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bihar will receive 5.75 million acre feet (MAF) of water annually, while Jharkhand will be allocated 2 MAF from the total 7.75 MAF originally allotted to undivided Bihar under the Bansagar Accord of 1973. The 1973 accord was signed between the then undivided Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and the Central government for the utilisation of Sone River waters, with the Bansagar dam constructed on the river in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district.
The breakthrough emerged during a meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council held in Ranchi on July 10 last year, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Discussions between representatives of both states at the council meeting helped bridge differences and paved the way for the current resolution. The agreement reflects a mutually acceptable formula for equitable water sharing based on the original allocation framework.
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State Cabinet Secretariat Department's Additional Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar Chaudhary stated that the Central Water Commission-issued draft has been approved because it facilitates the construction of the Indrapuri reservoir in Bihar. The new reservoir project is expected to significantly enhance irrigation and water management capabilities in the region once implemented.
The resolution marks a major step toward cooperative water resource management between the two neighbouring states. It ends years of uncertainty over Sone River utilisation and is anticipated to support agricultural development, drinking water supply, and overall regional progress while honouring the spirit of the 1973 Bansagar Accord.
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