Question : BANSAGAR AGREEMENT



(a) whether Bansagar agreement had been arrived at for sharing of water of the river Son by Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the agreement had been arrived at considering the water availability at 14.5 million acre feet;

(d) if so, the details of the shares of the concerned States; and

(e) whether 5.75 million acre feet water to be available in river Son released on mandatory and priority basis for Bihar from Indrapuri Barrage as per the Bansagar agreement is being released and if so the details thereof?

Answer given by the minister


MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES & MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI VINCENT H. PALA)

(a) & (b) Yes Madam. Copy of agreement of Bansagar Project is enclosed (Annexure-I).

(c) & (d) Yes. If the annual flow in river is less or more than 14.25 million acre feet (M.A.F.), there will be pro-rata cut or increase. The proportion of cut or increase would be 5.25 : 2.75 : 1.25 for Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh respectively.

(e) In terms of para 5 of Agreement of Bansagar Project, storage of 1.0 M.A.F. is provided for Bihar. The allocation of water from Sone river agreed to would be for Bihar 7.75 M.A.F. If the annual flow in the river is less or more than 14.25 M.A.F., there will be pro-rata cut or increase in the use of Sone waters by the three States in proportion to the allocation for the various States, after deducting requirements of old irrigation under the Sone Barrage, assessed at 5 M.A.F. which will receive water as a priority. The year-wise releases made from Bansagar Dam as per their demand received from time to time since 2006-07 to 2010-11 is as under:-

(All figures are in M Cum)

S.No.	Year	Total Storage	Bihar Share(1/4th	Quantity of water released	of total storage)

1. 2006-07 4220.552 1055.138 1081.932

2. 2007-08 2357.954 589.488 522.139

3. 2008-09 2772.891 693.222 850.746

4. 2009-10 2148.964 537.241 525.799

5. 2010-11 2776.963 694.240 699.475

ANNEXURE-1

AGREEMENT OF BANSAGAR PROJECT

I. Bansagar project serves some of the worst drought areas and therefore, requires implementation immediately so that the recurring damage due to famine and scarcity conditions may cease.

2. In Bansagar Project, storage of 2 M.A.F. would be for the use of Madhya Pradesh. They may utilize water up to a total of 2.0 M.A.F. at this site for irrigation, both present and future.

3. Madhya Pradesh will also use 1.0 M.A.F. in the areas upstream of Bansagar for Irrigation. Madhya Pradesh will also use 2.25 M.A.F. for Irrigation in the areas of Sone Basin in their State down stream of Bansagar dam. Madhya Pradesh can develop power at the foot of Bansagar dam and in the lower reaches of the Sone in their territory. They can also generate power at Chachai Falls making use of the diverted waters, which are intended, eventually for irrigation.

4. In Bansagar Project, storage of 1.0 M.A.F. will be for Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh will use 1.25 M.A.F. of Sone Waters for irrigation, out of which 0.25 M.A.F. would be from Kanhar river and up to 1.0 M.AF. from the Bansagar Dam and by lifting from Sone river down stream of Bansagar. The Government of U.P. will decide the relative proportions of the use of this later 1.0 M.A.F.

5. In Bansagar Project, storage of 1.0 M.A.F. will be for Bihar. The allocation of water from Sone river agreed to would be for Bihar 7.75 M.A.F., while it is 5.25 M.A.F for Madhya Pradesh and 1.25 M.A.F. for Uttar Pradesh. Bihar`s irrigation requirements are accepted as 8.00 M.A.F. Therefore, about 0.25 MAF. will be supplemented by pumping from the Ganga Project in the Sone basin depending on the availability of 8.00 M.A.F. sanctioned for Bihar.

6. The cost of Bansagar including cost of rehabilitation will be shared approximately in proportion to the water at the site to be utilized by the three States ie. 2: I: 1 i.e. 50%, 25% and 25%.

7. Rules for regulation of filling and use of Bansagar Reservoir will be drawn up by a committee consisting of Chairman, Central Water and Power Commission, and Chief Engineer of Irrigation of the three States.

8. If the annual flow in the river is less or more than 14.25 M.A.F. there will be pro-rata cut or increase in the use of Sone Waters by the three States in proportion to the allocation for the various States as above, after deducting requirements of old irrigation under the Sone barrage, assessed at 5 M.A.F. which will receive water as a priority. The proportion of cut or increase would, therefore, be 5.25: 2.75: 1.25 for Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh respectively. In planning the National Water Grid, priority will be given for irrigating the scarcity areas of Sone River basin.

9. As the hydrology of the river Sone and its tributaries is not well established and as Ganga waters are abundantly available for utilization by lift, the three States agree that the Government of India may set up a special River Commission for study of Sone river and draw up a comprehensive plan for the region, taking into account any readjustment in the use of waters considered necessary by the States. These studies may be made available in 5 to 10 years. Based on these studies, further planning of irrigation & other benefits to the region will be undertaken after discussions and agreement between the States.

10. This agreement will not be a precedent for any other Inter-State river basin disputes.
Sd/-	Sd/-	Sd/-

Abdul Gafoor P.C Sethi Chief Akbar Ali khan Chief Minister Minister Governor Bihar Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh

New Delhi Dated the 16th September, 1973.