Jharkhand, Bihar sign pact on Sone water sharing, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Bihar and Jharkhand signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on sharing Sone River water on Monday in Delhi.
• The agreement allocates 5.75 Million Acre-Feet (MAF) of water to Bihar and 2 MAF to Jharkhand.
• This resolution addresses a 25-year-long dispute that emerged after Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000.
• The dispute centered on the division of 7.75 MAF of water originally allocated to undivided Bihar under the 1973 Bansagar Agreement.
• The pact was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, and the Chief Ministers of both states.
• The agreement aims to provide irrigation water to lakhs of farmers and drinking water to a large population in rural areas of both states.

Detailed Insights:

• The water-sharing dispute originated from the division of the erstwhile undivided Bihar's allocation under the 1973 Bansagar Agreement, which involved Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and undivided Bihar.
• After its formation in 2000, Jharkhand sought a clearly defined share of the water, as a significant portion of the Sone River basin falls within its territory.
• The Sone River originates near Amarkantak Hill in Chhattisgarh and flows through Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar before merging with the Ganges near Patna.
• It is the second-largest southern tributary of the Ganges and is vital for irrigation in the eastern plains of India.
• The Ministry of Jal Shakti facilitated the settlement, with a committee chaired by the Central Water Commission recommending the allocation formula.
• A significant breakthrough in negotiations occurred during the Eastern Zonal Council meeting held in Ranchi in July 2025.
• This agreement is considered an example of cooperative federalism and marks the fourth inter-state water agreement reached this year.
• The pact is expected to benefit districts such as Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Arwal, Gaya, and Patna in Bihar, and Palamu, Garhwa, and other regions in Jharkhand.
• The long-standing dispute had previously hindered the progress of major irrigation projects, including the proposed Indrapuri Reservoir on the Sone River.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): A formal document outlining an agreement between two or more parties, indicating an intended common line of action.
• Million Acre-Feet (MAF): A unit of volume used for large-scale water resources, representing the amount of water that would cover one million acres to a depth of one foot.
• Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956: An Indian parliamentary act enacted under Article 262 of the Constitution to provide a legal framework for resolving disputes over inter-state rivers.
• Cooperative Federalism: A principle where the central government and state governments collaborate and cooperate to achieve common goals and resolve inter-state issues.