NEW DELHI: Twenty-five years after a dispute over water sharing between Bihar and Jharkhand, the two states on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on sharing the Sone River water in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Shah said the agreement resolved a long-standing water dispute in eastern India and would provide irrigation water to lakhs of farmers across large rural areas of Bihar and Jharkhand, besides ensuring drinking water supplies.
He said the resolution was an excellent example of the ‘Team Bharat’ vision and cooperative federalism championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shah added that this was the fourth water-sharing agreement reached between states this year, which would improve water availability for irrigation, rural development and drinking purposes.
The Union Home Minister said the agreement would ensure adequate water for drinking and irrigation for a large population across Bihar’s districts of Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Arwal, Gaya and Patna. In Jharkhand, water would also become available for irrigation and drinking in Palamu, Garhwa and other regions.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Union Minister for Jal Shakti C R Patil, the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, the Union Home Secretary, and senior officials from the Government of India and both states were present on the occasion.
Supply boost
Move to provide irrigation water to lakhs of farmers across large rural areas of Bihar and Jharkhand
The agreement is expected to ensure drinking water supplies in the two states
Notably, this marks the fourth water-sharing agreement reached between states this year