VARANASI: A municipal team removed boundary walls and other construction from about 35 biswa of government and public land beside the Ganga at Samne Ghat on Saturday, November 7, 2026, according to two reports describing the action. Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal had directed the revenue department to inspect complaints of unauthorised plotting along this stretch of the riverfront.
For residents around Samne Ghat, the immediate issue is the status of land being enclosed or presented as private plots near the river. The corporation says its campaign will continue. Residents can report suspected occupation of public land through 1533, the municipal complaint number displayed on its official website.
Anyone seeking clarification about a particular boundary or plot should give the revenue team its precise location and ask for verification of the relevant records. The reported operation concerns identified land at Samne Ghat. It does not establish the ownership of every nearby property, and the corroborated accounts do not provide a parcel by parcel list.
What the municipal team found
The accounts agree on the sequence of the action. Complaints about plotting and boundary walls reached the corporation, after which the commissioner instructed the revenue department to visit the site and investigate. The team found construction along the riverbank extending into the Ganga's water flow area, according to the officials' account carried in both reports.
Boundary walls and steps were among the structures identified. The municipal team then began removing the encroachments, with work continuing into the evening. Some occupants asked for time to remove the construction themselves. Neither account supplies an independently verified count of the people involved, so the land area should not be read as a count of households or occupied homes.
Monitoring will extend beyond this operation
Nagpal's direction covers government and public land, including land beside the Ganga and within its natural flow area. The commissioner said such property could not be occupied and used as private property. This is the corporation's position on the reported construction, rather than a court finding against a named individual.
Officials have also been told to identify similar locations and monitor them regularly. Where encroachment on government or public land is found, the instruction is to act according to the rules without pressure or favour. The accounts describe a continuing enforcement campaign but give no date or list of addresses for the next operation.
How to check a municipal land entry
The corporation's public property register page gives a specific route for residents with doubts about a land record, property or ownership entry. Its warning says the displayed lists are not final and will be updated from time to time. Citizens can obtain an updated report from the officer in charge of revenue at the corporation's principal office.
The page groups its vacant plot downloads into Adampur and Bhelupur zones, Dashashwamedh and Kotwali zones, and Varunapar zone. It separately links a parks list for Adampur, Bhelupur, Dashashwamedh and Kotwali. These are reference lists for municipal property checks. The page's own instruction is to seek an updated revenue report where an entry is in doubt.
The official contact page places the principal municipal office at Nagar Nigam Building, Sigra Road, opposite Shaheed Udyan, Varanasi, PIN 221010. Someone checking a riverfront plot can use that address when seeking the updated revenue report described on the register page. This existing verification route has not been announced as a new special camp for Saturday's operation.
What residents should do
The municipal corporation's official website directs citizens to 1533 for municipal complaints. It separately lists toll free number 18001805567 and landline 0542-2720005. These are general municipal contact routes. The site does not label them as a dedicated Samne Ghat demolition control room.
When raising a complaint, describe where the wall, steps or plotting is located and identify a nearby landmark. Distinguish construction beside the river from a problem involving rubbish, drains or access. That information helps explain the issue to the receiving office; it does not replace the revenue team's inspection or a determination of ownership.
Residents who receive a notice concerning a specific property should use the office and reference stated in that notice when seeking clarification. The published accounts do not reproduce individual notices, case numbers or response deadlines for Saturday's action. No uniform deadline for all Samne Ghat residents can therefore be inferred from this report.
Related local reporting includes the corporation's reclamation of dumping sites in Jagatganj and Chetganj, the ghat cleaning and river access work, and its revised civic budget and sewage treatment responsibilities. Those reports concern separate municipal decisions and works. They provide background to the city's management of public spaces and riverfront services.
