A 25-year-old dispute over the distribution of Sone river water between Bihar and Jharkhand is finally on the verge of resolution. The Bihar cabinet, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, approved a draft agreement on Tuesday that will be signed with Jharkhand, marking a historic step toward ending the long-standing conflict over water sharing.

Under the agreement, Bihar will receive 5.75 million-acre feet (MAF) of water, while Jharkhand will get 2 MAF from the total 7.75 MAF allocated to undivided Bihar under the 1973 Bansagar Accord. The draft, prepared by the Central Water Commission, clears the path for the construction of the Indrapuri reservoir, a project long delayed due to disputes.

The Indrapuri reservoir will be built between Kadwan in Garhwa district of Jharkhand and Matiwan in Rohtas district of Bihar. It is expected to stabilize irrigation facilities along the Sone canal system and significantly benefit eight districts in Bihar, including Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Patna, Gaya, and Arwal. Farmers in these regions will gain improved water access for agriculture.

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The Bansagar dam on the Sone river in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh is a multipurpose hydroelectric project serving irrigation, flood control, and power generation needs, producing around 425 MW. The Sone river originates from the Amarkantak hills in Madhya Pradesh and flows through Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar before joining the Ganga near Patna.

Since Jharkhand’s formation in 2000, the state had demanded a share of Sone river water. Bihar, heavily dependent on agriculture, had resisted citing high irrigation demands. Several distribution formulas were proposed over the years, but consensus was only reached at the Eastern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in July 2025, where both states agreed on the final allocation.

Officials stated that the agreement will finally enable the construction of the Indrapuri reservoir, providing long-awaited stability for irrigation and agricultural development along the Sone river. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary actively represented the state’s interests during negotiations, ensuring a balanced solution benefiting both states.

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