The Truth About Panchsheel Nagar – Part 7
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M Bharat 24 News Live Investigates the Search for the 62-Foot-Wide Drain in Panchsheel Nagar
Ranchi: What is the real reason behind the annual waterlogging and hours-long traffic jams at Panchsheel Nagar Chowk? To find the answer, M Bharat 24 News Live examined revenue records, 'Jharbhumi' records, and old maps. The investigation revealed documents pointing to the existence of an alleged 62-foot-wide drain.
Look at Map 001 provided above. This depicts the alleged 62-foot-wide drain that the district administration has been attempting to survey for years without reaching a definitive conclusion. According to the map, Plot No. 1075 (under Khata No. 210) is recorded in revenue documents as "Parati Nala" (wasteland/drain land). Locals allege that the drain land comprising Plot No. 1075 has been encroached upon by the construction of approximately six houses and shops.
According to local residents, this drain extends across National Highway-75 (NH-75) and connects to Plot No. 1081 on the other side of the road—a plot that is also designated as drain land. They claim it was once a continuous drainage channel that has shrunk over time.
Now, the crucial question is: how can it be proven that Plot No. 1075 is indeed drain land and has been encroached upon?
To understand the answer, it is essential to examine the map and revenue records provided below. If Plot No. 1075 is truly a drain, then the land adjacent to it—both upstream and downstream—should also be recorded as drain land. A drain—whether natural or one recorded in revenue documents—cannot simply begin or end abruptly at a single plot of land. Therefore, M Bharat 24 News Live also investigated the plots surrounding Plot No. 1075 and reviewed old records. The documents and maps obtained during the investigation play a crucial role in understanding the origin and path of the alleged 62-foot-wide drain, as well as determining whether any part of it has actually been encroached upon.
The map provided below clarifies the entire picture.
According to the map, National Highway-75 (NH-75) is depicted in blue at the top. The left side of the road leads towards Pandra, while the right side leads towards Piska More. The area situated along this route—marked by 'Arrow 3' on the map—faces a severe waterlogging problem every year.
The plot indicated by 'Arrow 1' on the map is Plot No. 1075. According to revenue records, this plot falls under Khata No. 210; it has an area of approximately 39 decimals, and its land classification is recorded as "Parati Nala" (fallow drain land).
Meanwhile, the area marked in black and indicated by 'Arrow 2' is identified by locals as the allegedly encroached section of the drain. They allege that houses and shops have been constructed by encroaching upon a portion of Plot No. 1075, thereby reducing the drain's original width.
According to locals, this drain crosses National Highway-75 and connects to the drain recorded on Plot No. 1081 (indicated by 'Arrow 4') on the other side of the road. They state that this drain—once approximately 62 feet wide—served as a major channel for rainwater drainage, but its width has progressively decreased over time due to alleged encroachment on a section of it.
The 'Jharbhumi' revenue records shown above confirm that Plot No. 1075 (under Khata No. 210) is registered as "Parati Nala." The revenue records explicitly classify the land as a drain, proving that the plot in question was originally part of a drainage channel.
In the 1932 land records (*Khatiyan*), Plot No. 1075 is also recorded as "Parti Nala" (fallow drain land). This confirms that the said plot has been registered in revenue records under the category of drain land and was recognized as a fallow drain.
Now, let us understand the geography of the drain.
M Bharat 24 News Live began its investigation into the land of the alleged 62-foot-wide drain from the area behind Plot No. 1075. The rationale behind this was that if Plot No. 1075 is indeed drain land, the drain must enter this plot from somewhere; consequently, there should be records of drain-related land behind it as well.
The map provided below points to this very fact. According to the map, drain land is recorded behind Plot No. 1075 as well. If the drain did not exist behind this plot, it would be natural to ask: where did the drain suddenly appear from to enter Plot No. 1075? To answer this question, M Bharat 24 News Live examined the surrounding plots and revenue records linked to Plot No. 1075, aiming to understand the drain's actual geography and flow path.
This map confirms that the existence of a drain is recorded on both the front and rear sides of Plot No. 1075. In other words, this plot appears to be part of a continuous drainage channel rather than an isolated drain.
The aforementioned *Jharbhoomi* records confirm that the existence of a drain is recorded on both the front and rear sides of Plot No. 1075 (under Khata No. 210). Plot No. 1075, situated within Khata No. 210 of Pandra *Mauza*, is itself recorded as drain land. Additionally, 11 decimals of land in Plot No. 1072—located behind Plot No. 1075—are also recorded as a drain. In other words, Plot Nos. 1072 and 1075 under Khata No. 210 are both drain land.
Thus, it is evident from the records and the map that the land behind Plot No. 1075 is also drain land (Plot No. 1.072), indicating that the existence of a drain has been recorded on both sides in this area.
Land designated as a drain is also recorded in Khata No. 169 of Hehal Mauza, situated behind Plot No. 1072. According to revenue records, approximately 5 decimals of land in Plot No. 105 and about 7 decimals in Plot No. 108 are registered as drain land.
Thus, beyond Plot Nos. 1075 and 1072 of Khata No. 210 in Pandra Mauza, drain land is also recorded in Hehal Mauza. Based on maps and revenue records, it can be stated that the existence of the drain has been documented across various plots in this region.
In this manner, 'M Bharat 24 News Live' has detailed both the history and geography of the drain and, by creating a map of the encroachment site, has traced the 62-foot-wide drain.
In the next part...
Encroachment on the drain never ceased, and it continues to this day.
Keep reading — "The Truth About Panchsheel Nagar"
— Reporting: Manoj Mishra
