Latest News:
- The Assam government has recently launched an eviction drive to clear 11,000 bighas of encroached forest land in the Uriamghat area of Golaghat district.
- This action has brought renewed attention to the traditional unit of land measurement, bigha.
What is Bigha:
- Bigha is a traditional unit of land measurement still commonly used in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
- It is especially popular in agricultural regions and rural land dealings.
States in India Using Bigha:
- Bigha is widely used in states such as Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Historical Background
- Bigha has its roots in ancient South Asian land practices. Before modern units like acre or hectare were introduced, people used bigha to measure land for farming, taxation, and trade.
- Over time, it became an important part of the economic and cultural identity of many regions.
Variation in Size:
- In West Bengal and Assam, one bigha equals 14,400 square feet
- In Punjab, it equals around 9,070 square feet
- One acre is 43,560 square feet, making the bigha a smaller unit than an acre
- There is no national standard, which often causes confusion in inter-state land transactions
Common Subunits of Bigha:
- Biswa
- Katha
- Nalli
- These subunits also vary by region and are used in local land dealings.
Bigha in Bangladesh and Nepal:
- In Bangladesh, under British rule, bigha was standardized to 14,400 square feet
- In Nepal, one bigha equals about 6,772.63 square meters, though regional differences still exist