Bihar, Jharkhand sign agreement on sharing Sone River water

Bihar and Jharkhand signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on sharing Sone River water on Monday. The agreement was inked in Delhi in the presence of Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil.

Mr. Choudhary informed that a formal consensus has been reached to allocate 5.75 million acre-feet (MAF) of the river water to Bihar and 2 MAF to Jharkhand. The two States had a dispute over sharing 7.75 MAF of water allocated for the then undivided Bihar under a 1973 agreement.

Mr. Shah said the agreement had resolved a long-pending water dispute in eastern India. He said it would provide irrigation water to lakhs of farmers in rural Bihar and Jharkhand and drinking water for a large population.

He also stated that the agreement was an “excellent” example of the ‘Team Bharat’ vision and cooperative federalism championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

‘Fourth inter-State pact this year’

He said that while all States possessed their own distinct identities, if they moved forward as ‘Team Bharat’ within the national context, there would not be any problem that could not be resolved. He added that this marked the fourth water agreement between States this year, which would enhance water availability for irrigation, rural development and drinking purposes.

“The agreement reached today to resolve the nearly 25-year-old water dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand exemplifies that any problem can be resolved through dialogue conducted with the spirit of cooperative federalism. Issues concerning vast geographical areas, farmers, rural regions and drinking water supplies in both States have been permanently resolved today,” Mr. Shah said.

He pointed out that agreement would ensure the availability of adequate water for drinking and irrigation to a large population across the districts of Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Arwal, Gaya and Patna in Bihar and Palamu, Garhwa and other regions of Jharkhand.

Both Mr. Choudhary and Mr. Soren expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for resolving the issue of the Sone River water sharing.

1973 agreement

Mr. Choudhary said that under the 1973 Bansagar Agreement, out of the total 14.25 MAF of Sone river water, 5.25 MAF was allocated to Madhya Pradesh, 1.25 MAF to Uttar Pradesh, and 7.75 MAF to then-undivided Bihar. After Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000, a dispute arose between the two States regarding the sharing of the 7.75 MAF of water, which remained unresolved for the past 25 years.

“This [the agreement] will improve water availability, particularly in the plateau and drought-prone regions of South Bihar and Jharkhand. It will lead to the expansion of irrigation facilities, alleviate drinking water shortages, and provide fresh momentum to industrial development. Furthermore, it will ensure long-term water security for both States,” Mr. Choudhary said.

He asserted that following the agreement, work can be expedited on proposed projects such as reservoir construction and linking the Sone river with the Falgu river—to optimise the use of Sone water, thereby increasing water availability in several areas of South Bihar, including Gaya-ji.

Mr. Choudhary explained that adequate water in the Falgu river will also facilitate the rituals of Tarpan and Pind-daan for pilgrims visiting from across the country and abroad during the Pitru Paksha fair.