New Delhi: A long-pending inter-state water dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand has been resolved with the signing of an agreement for sharing 7.75 million acre-feet (MAF) of water from the Son River. The agreement was signed in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, bringing an end to a dispute that had remained unresolved for nearly 25 years.
Welcoming the agreement, Amit Shah described it as an outstanding example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Team India’ and cooperative federalism. He said the settlement demonstrates that even complex and long-standing issues can be resolved when states work together in the larger national interest.
Under the new arrangement, Bihar will receive 5.75 MAF, while Jharkhand will get 2 MAF from the 7.75 MAF entitlement originally allocated to undivided Bihar under the 1973 Bansagar Agreement. The dispute emerged after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000, as the earlier agreement had not specified how Bihar’s allocation would be divided between the two successor states.
The agreement is expected to significantly improve irrigation and drinking-water availability across several districts. In Bihar, the benefits are expected to reach areas including Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Arwal, Gaya and Patna. In Jharkhand, Palamu, Garhwa and adjoining areas are also expected to benefit.
Amit Shah said the settlement would directly benefit lakhs of farmers in both states and provide fresh momentum to rural development and agricultural activity. The agreement is also expected to remove a major hurdle for planned water infrastructure and irrigation projects, including the long-pending Indrapuri reservoir project.
The Home Minister further emphasised that if all states move forward as one team, there is no problem that cannot be resolved. He described the Son River agreement as part of a broader effort to settle long-pending inter-state issues through dialogue and the principles of cooperative federalism.
In essence, the Son River pact not only ends a 25-year-old water dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand but also opens the way for greater water security, irrigation, farming and rural development in both states.