A nearly 25-year-old dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand over the sharing of Sone River waters is set to end, with both states expected to sign a formal agreement soon.
The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti is currently working to finalize the date, time and venue for the signing ceremony, which is likely to be held in August in the presence of the union Jal Shakti minister and the chief ministers of both states.
A senior ministry official said the agreement could be signed “any day now” as both Bihar and Jharkhand have completed the required internal approvals. Jharkhand’s cabinet approved the proposal earlier this month, while the Centre has also completed the necessary paperwork.
The agreement will divide the erstwhile undivided Bihar’s share of Sone River waters under the 1973 Bansagar Agreement. Of the total 7.75 million acre-feet (MAF) allocated to Bihar, 5.75 MAF will go to Bihar and 2 MAF to Jharkhand.
The formula was unanimously recommended by a committee constituted by the Centre and comprising representatives of both state governments. The committee was formed to resolve the long-standing dispute that emerged after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in November 2000.
The Bansagar Agreement, signed in 1973 between Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and undivided Bihar, governs the sharing of Sone River waters. While the agreement remained in force after the creation of Jharkhand, the division of Bihar’s share between the two successor states remained unresolved for nearly a quarter of a century.
The Centre is now expected to focus on another major interstate water dispute the Mahanadi River water-sharing issue between Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The two states have been locked in disagreements over water allocation and upstream projects, with the matter pending before a tribunal for several years.
