Bihar and Jharkhand sign an MoU ending the 25-year dispute over Sone river water

On 31 August 2026 Bihar and Jharkhand signed an MoU in New Delhi on sharing the waters of the Sone river. It was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, and the two Chief Ministers, Samrat Choudhary of Bihar and Hemant Soren of Jharkhand.

Under the 1973 Bansagar Agreement, the Sone's 14.25 million acre-feet (MAF) of water was split among Madhya Pradesh (5.25 MAF), Uttar Pradesh (1.25 MAF) and Bihar (7.75 MAF). The dispute began when Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in November 2000. Under the new MoU, Bihar gets 5.75 MAF and Jharkhand 2 MAF of the 7.75 MAF allocated to undivided Bihar.

The agreement clears the way for the Indrapuri reservoir on the Sone in Rohtas district, and for canals in Jharkhand's Palamu and Garhwa districts.

Why it matters for the exam

For BPSC this is a strong topic for Prelims and for Mains GS Paper 1 and 2: the geography of Bihar, its rivers, irrigation and the economy of the State. For UPSC it fits GS Paper 2 (inter-state water disputes, cooperative federalism) and GS Paper 1 (geography).

Revise the course of the Sone and the districts of Bihar it flows through, Article 262 and the law on inter-state river water disputes, and other disputes settled by agreement rather than by a tribunal. A Mains answer on cooperative federalism can use this MoU as an example of two States settling a dispute with the Centre present.

Points for Prelims

• MoU signed on 31 August 2026 in New Delhi, between Bihar and Jharkhand.
• Shares: Bihar 5.75 MAF, Jharkhand 2 MAF, out of the 7.75 MAF allocated to undivided Bihar.
• 1973 Bansagar Agreement: 14.25 MAF split among Madhya Pradesh (5.25), Uttar Pradesh (1.25) and Bihar (7.75).
• Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in November 2000.
• Projects cleared: Indrapuri reservoir in Rohtas district; canals in Palamu and Garhwa.

Source: PIB (Ministry of Home Affairs), 31 August 2026.

Also reported by: The Hindu, 1 September 2026, and The Indian Express.