Why in news?
The Assam government has completed a two‑day eviction drive in the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary, clearing about 6,200 bighas—nearly 830 hectares—of encroached land and displacing around 710 families. The operation has drawn attention to the traditional unit of land measurement called the bigha.
Background
A bigha is a customary unit used to measure land in many parts of India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The term originates from the Sanskrit word vigraha, meaning division. Before metric units were widely adopted, landowners measured plots for cultivation, taxation and trade in bighas. Today it remains in everyday use, particularly among farmers and rural communities, even though its size varies widely by region.
Regional variations
- Assam and West Bengal: 1 bigha = 14,400 sq ft (approx. 1,340 sq m). Sub‑units include katha and lecha.
- Bihar (Patna region): 1 bigha = 27,225 sq ft, subdivided into 20 katha.
- Himachal Pradesh: 1 bigha = 8,712 sq ft; five bighas make roughly one acre.
- Punjab: 1 bigha equals 4 kanals or half an acre (about 21,780 sq ft).
- Rajasthan: Two traditional sizes exist—“pucca” bigha at 27,225 sq ft and “kaccha” bigha at 17,424 sq ft.
- Uttar Pradesh: Sizes range from about 6,800 sq ft in western districts to more than 27,000 sq ft in eastern areas.
- Bangladesh and Nepal: In Bangladesh the bigha was standardised under British rule at 14,400 sq ft, while in Nepal it is roughly 6,772.63 sq m and subdivided into 20 katha and 20 dhur.
Where is it used?
Bigha remains popular in farming regions across Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Although metric units like the acre (43,560 sq ft) and hectare (10,000 sq m) are now standard in official records, land transactions in rural areas often still refer to bighas.
Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary
- Location: Situated on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Sonitpur district, Assam. It abuts Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, forming a contiguous landscape.
- Buffer zone: Since 2007 Burhachapori has been a notified buffer of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
- Habitats: The sanctuary features wet alluvial grasslands, riparian forests and semi‑evergreen forests. Low‑lying areas are prone to seasonal flooding.
- Fauna: It hosts tigers, elephants, wild buffalo, one‑horned rhinoceroses, hog deer and wild boar. Birdlife includes the critically endangered Bengal florican, black‑necked stork, open‑billed stork, mallard and various ducks.
News significance
- Eviction drive: Officials removed illegal settlements from 6,200 bighas of forest land over two days. Approximately 710 families were evicted from areas within the sanctuary.
- Conservation priority: Clearing encroachments helps protect wildlife habitats and ensures that the buffer zone can function as intended.
- Land measurement awareness: The episode highlights the continued use of bigha as a unit and the need for landholders to understand regional variations when negotiating or converting measurements.
Source: The Print
