Patna: Ending a water dispute that had lingered for 25 years since Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar, the two states on Monday signed an agreement in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to share the waters of the Sone river, paving the way for improved irrigation and drinking water supplies in both states.Under the agreement, Bihar will receive 5.75 million acre feet (MAF) of Sone water, while Jharkhand will get 2 MAF. The settlement is expected to benefit lakhs of people, particularly farmers and residents of rural and drought-prone areas.Shah said the agreement had resolved one of eastern India’s long-pending interstate issues and demonstrated how complex disputes could be settled through dialogue and cooperative federalism. He described the settlement as an example of PM Narendra Modi’s “Team Bharat” vision.The dispute dates back to a 1973 agreement among Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and undivided Bihar on sharing the Sone river water and the cost of the Bansagar dam in Madhya Pradesh. Of the total available 14.25 MAF of water, Uttar Pradesh was allocated 1.25 MAF, Madhya Pradesh 5.25 MAF and undivided Bihar 7.75 MAF.The dispute emerged after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000, leaving the two states to resolve their respective shares of the water allocated earlier to undivided Bihar.CM Samrat Choudhary said a major consensus on the issue was reached during the 27th meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council in Ranchi on July 10, 2025, under Shah’s chairmanship. Subsequent discussions at various levels and technical deliberations eventually led to the signing of the agreement.Union Jal Shakti minister C R Patil, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Bihar deputy chief minister-cum-water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and senior officials of the two states and the Centre were present at the ceremony.Shah said the agreement would ensure better availability of irrigation and drinking water in Bihar’s Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Arwal, Gaya and Patna districts. In Jharkhand, Palamu, Garhwa and other regions are also expected to benefit.Samrat and Hemant thanked Modi and Shah for facilitating the settlement. Samrat said the agreement was not merely about sharing water but marked a new chapter of cooperation, trust and shared development between Bihar and Jharkhand.He said the pact would particularly improve water availability in plateau and drought-affected areas of Jharkhand and south Bihar. Expanded irrigation facilities, reduced drinking water shortages, industrial development and stronger long-term water security were among its expected benefits.Samrat also said the agreement could accelerate proposed reservoir projects for better utilisation of Sone water and help advance the proposed Sone-Falgu river link. The project could improve water availability in south Bihar, particularly Gaya, while increased flow in the Falgu would also benefit devotees visiting during Pitripaksh Mela for “tarpan” and “pinddaan” rituals.The settlement, Shah said, had permanently addressed issues affecting farmers, rural areas and drinking water supplies in both states, ending a dispute that had remained unresolved for a quarter of a century.
