By Kavita Sharma
Photo Credit: The Suncity News
Patna, August 31, 2026: A 26-year-old dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand over the sharing of Son River water has finally been resolved, with the two states reaching an agreement in New Delhi.
The consensus was reached during a meeting involving Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil.
Choudhary announced the development on X, describing the agreement as a “historic resolution in the interest of Bihar.”
He said the settlement would increase the availability of water for irrigation in Bihar, strengthen the agricultural sector and provide fresh momentum to the state’s development.
He added that the people of Jharkhand would also benefit from the agreement.
Dispute over the Son River water was unresolved since 2000:
The dispute had remained unresolved since Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar as a separate state in 2000.
The disagreement centered on the allocation of Son River water between the two states.
The issue is linked to the 1973 Bansagar Agreement, which was signed between Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and the then- undivided Bihar.
The agreement governed the allocation and sharing of Son River water, with 7.75 million acre-feet (MAF) allocated to undivided Bihar.
Following the creation of Jharkhand, the question of how the water allocation should be divided between the two states remained contentious for more than two decades.
The latest agreement has now settled the allocation, with Bihar set to receive 5.75 MAF and Jharkhand 2 MAF.
BJP reaction on the water distribution:
Reaction to the development, Bihar BJP spokesperson Arvind Kumar Singh said the agreement would benefit people in both states.
He said the settlement should have been reached earlier but welcomed the fact that the long-pending issue had finally been resolved.
Singh also welcomed the roles played by the Centre, the Bihar government and the concerned authorities in Jharkhand in reaching the agreement.
He said the agreed MAF ratio had been determined on a scientific basis after considering various aspects of the dispute.
The resolution is expected to improve prospects for irrigation and water-resource management in Bihar while providing Jharkhand with a clearly defined share of Son River water.
The agreement marks a significant development in Centre-state and inter-state coordination and brings an end to one of the long-running water-sharing disputes between Bihar and Jharkhand.
EOM.
