Overview
- The approved draft MoU allocates 5.75 MAF of the Sone’s water to Bihar and 2.0 MAF to Jharkhand from the undivided Bihar share under the 1973 Bansagar Accord.
- The cabinet move follows Central Water Commission approval of the draft agreement, authorizing Bihar’s Water Resources Department to proceed.
- The decision removes a key hurdle for the Indrapuri Reservoir on the Sone, planned between Kadwan in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district and Matiwan in Bihar’s Rohtas district.
- The project is expected to bolster irrigation across eight Bihar districts: Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Patna, Gaya, and Arwal.
- The long-pending dispute dates to Jharkhand’s creation in 2000 and saw a breakthrough at the July 10, 2025 Eastern Zonal Council meeting chaired by Amit Shah, with the pact now slated for signing and Bihar informing the Centre.