Ranchi, Aug 31 (PTI) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday termed the water-sharing agreement for the Sone river between Bihar and his state as an important step towards fulfilling the needs of farmers and strengthening irrigation systems.
Bihar and Jharkhand signed a water-sharing agreement for the Sone river in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday, “permanently resolving” the nearly 25-year-old water dispute between the two states, officials said.
“This agreement will be an important step towards protecting Jharkhand’s interests, while also strengthening the needs of farmers, irrigation systems, and the state’s future water requirements,” Soren, who is in New Delhi, said in a social media post.
“In a meeting chaired by the Hon’ble Union Home Minister, the respected Shri @AmitShah ji in New Delhi, a significant step was taken today towards resolving the long-standing issue of the water sharing of the Sone River,” he said.
Soren said that after prolonged discussions, technical deliberations and mutual efforts, a consensus has been reached between the two states.
Shah said the agreement reached on Monday to resolve the water dispute between Bihar and Jharkhand exemplifies that any problem can be solved through dialogue conducted with the spirit of cooperative federalism.
In 1973, an agreement took place among Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and undivided Bihar on the water sharing of the Sone river and the cost of the Bansagar dam in Madhya Pradesh.
A dispute started in 2000 when Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar as a new state, officials said.
Jharkhand demanded a bigger share of water in the Bansagar project as a large chunk of the catchment area came under it, while Bihar cited the 1973 agreement to claim water from the project. PTI NAM RBT
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.