New Delhi on August 31 saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that ends a 25‑year dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand over Son River water sharing. Under the pact, Bihar will receive 5.75 million acre‑feet (MAF) of water while Jharkhand is allocated 2.00 MAF. The agreement was formalised in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, and senior officials from the Centre and both states.
Chief Minister Choudhary described the settlement as historic and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shah for the Centre’s initiative, continuous dialogue and mediation. He recalled that the 1973 Bansagar Agreement had apportioned the Son River’s total 14.25 MAF among Madhya Pradesh (5.25 MAF), Uttar Pradesh (1.25 MAF) and the then undivided Bihar (7.75 MAF). After Jharkhand’s creation in 2000, the allocation of Bihar’s share became contentious, prompting a series of negotiations.
Progress accelerated during the 27th meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council in Ranchi on July 10, 2025, chaired by Amit Shah, followed by multiple technical and administrative rounds that culminated in the current consensus. Both states anticipate a substantial boost to irrigation, drinking‑water supply and industrial development in the plateau and drought‑prone regions of southern Bihar and Jharkhand.
The settlement also paves the way for accelerated reservoir construction and the proposed Son‑Falgu river‑linking project, which aims to improve water utilisation in south Bihar, including Gaya. Enhanced flow in the Falgu River is expected to support pilgrims during the annual Pitrapaksha Mela. By resolving the long‑standing dispute, the agreement underscores the strategic importance of the Son River basin for agriculture and economic activity across eastern India and illustrates the strength of cooperative federalism.
