in Test of Cooperative Federalism

A long-running disagreement over Sone River water sharing has been settled, opening the way for more predictable irrigation management in two water-dependent eastern states. **PATNA-**RANCHI | 1 September 2026 | CurrentPulse News Desk Bihar and Jharkhand have reached an agreement to resolve a roughly 25-year dispute over sharing water from the Sone River, according to reports published on 1 September. The settlement is notable because the disagreement dates to the creation of Jharkhand in 2000, when assets, administrative responsibilities and access to shared river systems had to be reorganised between the two states. The Sone is one of the major southern tributaries of the Ganga. It rises near the Amarkantak region in central India and flows through Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar before joining the Ganga. Its broad sandy bed and highly seasonal discharge have historicall