50 Years Later, South Bihar’s Dream Irrigation Project Finally Delivers Water to Farms

Brief By Newsbrief / 3:02 PM on 10 Jun 2026

The long-pending Dhadhar Irrigation Project has finally become operational, bringing irrigation benefits to farmers in parts of Gaya, Nawada and Jehanabad districts. Connected to the Son Canal system through the Sahijana barrage in Jehanabad, the project is now supplying water across an extensive canal network during the ongoing kharif season.

Officials said nearly 73 cusecs of water have been released, helping irrigate thousands of hectares of farmland. The project, conceived in the 1960s and formally approved in the 1970s, faced decades of delays due to funding constraints, administrative hurdles, legal disputes and complications arising after the bifurcation of Bihar and Jharkhand.

The irrigation network is expected to significantly improve water availability for agriculture, particularly during monsoon-dependent cropping seasons. Authorities believe the project will boost crop productivity, strengthen rural livelihoods and reduce farmers’ dependence on erratic rainfall, marking a major milestone in South Bihar’s agricultural development.