NCC Limited has been awarded a ₹2,090 crore contract by the Water Resources Department of Bihar for the construction of the Barnar reservoir. The project includes building the reservoir, dam structures, irrigation channels, and other related infrastructure in the Jamui district.
The Barnar reservoir is a long-pending initiative of the Bihar government. Originally approved in 1975 by the Technical Advisory Committee on Irrigation and Flood Control under the erstwhile Planning Commission, the project was initially estimated to cost just ₹8.03 crore.
In a statement made in the Lok Sabha in February this year, the Minister of State for Jal Shakti confirmed that the construction of the reservoir had been delayed for decades. He noted that water resource projects are typically planned, funded, and executed by state governments based on their own priorities and available resources. He also informed the House that the Bihar government has already spent ₹63.89 crore on the project to date.
In October 2023, the state submitted a revised project proposal to the Central Water Commission (CWC), estimating the cost at ₹2,302.22 crore based on 2022–23 price levels. However, the proposal was returned in January 2024 with a recommendation to prepare a fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR) incorporating updated hydrology data, revised irrigation plans, and current (2023–24) cost estimates.