New Delhi | September 1, 2026 | INFRAINTEL Bureau
(India Today)
Bihar and Jharkhand have signed a memorandum of understanding governing the sharing of 7.75 million acre-feet of Sone River water, seeking to resolve a dispute that began after Jharkhand’s creation in 2000.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the chief ministers of both states, the Union Jal Shakti Minister and senior central and state officials.
The dispute arose from differing interpretations of a 1973 arrangement between Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and undivided Bihar concerning Sone water and the cost of the Bansagar dam. Jharkhand sought a larger share based on the catchment within its territory, while Bihar relied on the earlier agreement.
The Union government said the new arrangement would support irrigation and drinking-water supply in several districts of Bihar and in Palamu, Garhwa and other areas of Jharkhand.
Officials presented the pact as an example of cooperative federalism and noted other inter-state water agreements reached during 2026 concerning the Narmada, Yamuna and Kishau projects.
Durable resolution will depend on publication of allocation rules, seasonal schedules, reservoir and drought protocols, measurement systems, data sharing and a dispute-resolution mechanism. The description of the issue as permanently resolved should be tested against implementation during low-flow years.