The Bihar government’s long-cherished plan to transform the Indrapuri barrage on the Sone river into a major reservoir is still awaiting a formal nod from Jharkhand, even as both states move closer to resolving a decade-old interstate water-sharing dispute.
The agreement on sharing Sone river waters was reached during the eastern zonal council meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah in July 2025. Bihar has already prepared a draft agreement, secured cabinet approval and incorporated changes sought by Jharkhand as recently as January. Yet, officials in Patna say they continue to wait for clearance from Ranchi for a formal deal.
The ambitious Indrapuri reservoir scheme aims to convert the existing barrage in Rohtas district into a full-fledged dam capable of storing 4,170 million cubic metres of water. The project also includes a hydel power component expected to generate around 300 MW of electricity. Once completed, it promises sustained irrigation to vast agricultural tracts across eight districts in south and central Bihar — Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Patna, Gaya and Arwal — potentially transforming farming in a region often plagued by erratic rainfall and water scarcity.
Bihar water resources department secretary Chandra Shekhar Singh expressed his dismay over the delay. “Bihar has got everything ready for signing a formal deal on water sharing of the Sone river and is waiting for a similar gesture from the neighbouring state,” he said. Singh added that the state has already forwarded the draft agreement to the Central government. “The reconstruction of the project, which envisages construction of a huge reservoir, is getting delayed owing to Jharkhand government’s dithering approach,” he noted.
{{/usCountry}}Bihar water resources department secretary Chandra Shekhar Singh expressed his dismay over the delay. “Bihar has got everything ready for signing a formal deal on water sharing of the Sone river and is waiting for a similar gesture from the neighbouring state,” he said. Singh added that the state has already forwarded the draft agreement to the Central government. “The reconstruction of the project, which envisages construction of a huge reservoir, is getting delayed owing to Jharkhand government’s dithering approach,” he noted.
{{/usCountry}}The roots of the dispute trace back to the 2000 bifurcation of Bihar, when Jharkhand was carved out. Under the earlier Bansagar Agreement of 1973 involving undivided Bihar, the state was entitled to 7.75 million acre feet (MAF) of Sone water. Post-bifurcation, Jharkhand staked its claim, stalling progress on the Indrapuri project.
The July 2025 understanding, facilitated under the Union home minister’s chairmanship, proposes a practical division: Bihar would receive 5.75 MAF and Jharkhand 2 MAF. Bihar officials say they will prepare a fresh detailed project report (DPR) for the dam once the agreement is formally signed.
From the Jharkhand side, water resources minister Hafizul Hassan provided an update following a departmental review meeting chaired by chief minister Hemant Soren on May 25. “The officials have been told to prepare the draft for cabinet approval in the light of the agreement arrived at in the presence of Union home minister Shah. We will apprise the Union Jal Shakti ministry as soon as the draft agreement is passed by the cabinet,” Hassan said.
For Bihar, the project holds immense significance for agricultural productivity and power generation in a region where the Sone river has long been a lifeline. Farmers and local leaders have repeatedly urged both governments to expedite the process so that work on the reservoir can begin without further delay.