"Bihar and Jharkhand Sign MoU Resolving Sone River Water Dispute"
MAF (Million Acre Feet)
a unit measuring large volumes of water, used in inter-state river allocation agreements
ISRWDA, 1956
Inter-State River Water Disputes Act; provides the statutory framework for tribunal-based resolution of river water disputes
Inter-state river water disputes are among the most persistent governance challenges in India's federal structure. Water is listed under Entry 17 of the State List (Seventh Schedule), making it primarily a state subject. However, Entry 56 of the Union List empowers Parliament to regulate inter-state rivers to the extent declared expedient in the public interest. This constitutional tension between state sovereignty over water and Union oversight of shared rivers is the root cause of most inter-state disputes.
Article 262 of the Constitution specifically addresses this tension. It empowers Parliament to provide for the adjudication of disputes relating to the use, distribution, or control of inter-state river waters. Crucially, it also bars the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and other courts in such matters. Parliament enacted the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act (ISRWDA), 1956 under this authority. Under this Act, the Union Government can constitute a tribunal when a state makes a request and negotiations fail. Tribunal awards, once published in the Official Gazette, have the force of a decree of the Supreme Court.
Article 263 provides for an Inter-State Council (ISC) to coordinate between states and the Centre. The ISC has emerged as a preferred forum for negotiated settlements rather than adversarial tribunal proceedings. This shift toward dialogue-based resolution reflects the broader principle of cooperative federalism.
The ISRWDA, 1956 lays down the procedure for dispute resolution. A state government can request the Union Government to refer a dispute to a tribunal. The Union Government must first attempt to resolve the matter through negotiation. Only if negotiations fail does it constitute a tribunal. Tribunal proceedings are notoriously slow. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal took 17 years to deliver its award. This delay has pushed states and the Centre toward negotiated MoU-based settlements as a faster alternative.
The Sone River dispute has its roots in the 1973 Bansagar Agreement, which allocated 7.75 MAF (Million Acre Feet) of water to undivided Bihar. When Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000 under the Bihar Reorganisation Act, the water allocation was not formally divided between the two successor states. …
Recently, linking of which of the following rivers was undertaken?
Which of the following are the key features of 'National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)'?
1.River basin is the unit of planning and management.
2.It spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level.
3.One of the Chief Ministers of the States through which the Ganga flows becomes the Chairman of NGRBA on rotation basis.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Consider the following statements regarding the constitutional framework for inter-state river water disputes in India:
1.Water is listed under Entry 17 of the State List, making it primarily a state subject.
2.Entry 56 of the Union List empowers Parliament to regulate inter-state rivers to the extent declared expedient in the public interest.
3.Article 262 bars the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in matters relating to inter-state river water disputes.
4.Tribunal awards under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 have the force of a decree of the High Court of the concerned state.
How many of the above statements are correct?
With reference to the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act (ISRWDA), 1956, consider the following statements:
1.A state government can directly approach the Supreme Court if another state refuses to share river water.
2.The Union Government must first attempt to resolve the dispute through negotiation before constituting a tribunal.
3.The Act was amended in 2019 to set time limits for tribunal awards.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match List I (River/Agreement) with List II (Key Detail) and select the correct answer using the code given below:
List I:
A.Bansagar Agreement
B.Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal
C.ISRWDA, 1956
D.Sone River MoU (Bihar-Jharkhand)
List II:
1.Took 17 years to deliver its award
2.Allocated 7.75 MAF to undivided Bihar
3.Awards have the force of a Supreme Court decree
4.Allocates 5.75 MAF to Bihar and 2 MAF to Jharkhand
Consider the following statements about the Sone River water-sharing MoU signed between Bihar and Jharkhand:
1.The dispute originated when Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000, leaving the original Bansagar Agreement allocation undivided.
2.The MoU allocates 5.75 MAF to Bihar and 2 MAF to Jharkhand from a total of 7.75 MAF.
3.The MoU has the same statutory enforceability as a tribunal award under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following correctly describes the constitutional basis for Parliament's power to regulate inter-state rivers in India?
1.Entry 17 of the State List gives states primary jurisdiction over water.
2.Entry 56 of the Union List allows Parliament to regulate inter-state rivers to the extent declared expedient in the public interest.
3.Article 262 empowers Parliament to provide for adjudication of inter-state river water disputes.
4.Article 263 provides for an Inter-State Council to coordinate between states and the Centre.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
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