For the first time in a century, the West Bengal government is preparing new cadastral or mouza maps for the state. According to the state government, the character of mouzas has changed within these hundred years, with a survey being conducted across West Bengal accordingly, barring Kolkata.
A mouza map is a graphic representation of land divisions and boundaries, and is used to record the ownership and use of a land unit known as a mouza. It is used for administrative purposes in Bangladesh, Pakistan and parts of India.
State land department sources said that the last time the cadastral map was prepared was in 1925 — 22 years before the Partition of Bengal. However, they have detailed information on land in the city of Kolkata.
A senior official of the land department said, “Within these hundred years, many things have changed in West Bengal. The area of Bengal has been changed many times. Portions of Bengal went to Bihar and Assam. On the other hand, Bengal was divided in 1947 into East Bengal and West Bengal.”
He further said, “After the division of Bengal, a huge population influx happened in West Bengal. Many plots of agricultural land, vested land, and low land were transformed into ‘bastu’ land or residential land. In many cases, panchayat areas came under municipalities or corporations. So, a new survey will help determine which types of land are under the government and where they are.”
According to the land department, the help of satellite images will be taken. In the same way, sophisticated Geo tagging cameras and drone-paintings will be used. The Directorate of Land Records and Survey will review the information and draw final observations for each mouza. Sources said the survey will be done in three steps.
The first phase will survey Howrah, Hooghly, Jhargram, East Burdwan, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur districts. The second phase concerns North and South 24 Parganas, Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura, Purulia, Nadia and Birbhum. The third phase will involve Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar.
Land department sources said there are 42,302 mouzas in the state at the moment. Separate maps will be made for mouzas containing water-based islands in the state. According to information available from the state government, 68,453 mouza maps will be created.