Farmland India
Green paddy and wheat fields on flat canal-irrigated farmland in Arwal district, Bihar, with trees on the horizon

District guide

Buying Land in Arwal

Bihar’s smallest district on the Son canal plain, with NH-139 four-laning, an Arwal bypass tender and paddy-wheat farmland near Patna.

  • 626 sq km

    Area (KVK district profile)

  • 7.0 lakh

    Population (2011)

  • 1,014 mm

    Normal annual rainfall

  • 26,500 ha

    Irrigated net sown area

*Indicative range across districts and land types. Stamp duty, registration and conversion charges are additional. Local measurement units vary — every listing states the unit it is priced in. Not a valuation or an offer.

District land record — Arwal

Rev. 2026 · Farmland India desk

State

Bihar

Sub-divisions

One sub-division and five blocks per the Krishi Vigyan Kendra district profile (KVK Arwal): Arwal, Kaler, Karpi, Kurtha and Sonbhadra Banshi Suryapur (Vanshi Surajpur). Arwal town sits on the right bank of the Son.

Key markets

Arwal town · Karpi · Kurtha · Kaler

Demand anchors

Four-laning of NH-139 from Naubatpur through Arwal and Aurangabad to Hariharganj, about 88 km at about Rs 2,500 crore, was reported on 18 Oct 2026 (Prabhat Khabar). A 12.3 km Arwal bypass on it went to tender in September 2026 (Prabhat Khabar).

Rail

No passenger railway line in the district; nearest railheads are in neighbouring Jehanabad and Patna.

Size and population

About 626 sq km and 7,00,843 people at the 2011 Census, a density of about 1,120 per sq km.

Pricing unit

Asking prices are usually quoted in kattha or decimal; no sourced price series is shown

Local units

Kattha and bigha vary in size across Bihar and are not fixed by a single official conversion; 1 decimal is one-hundredth of an acre (435.6 sq ft). Always convert to acres or sq ft on the deed.

Land records portal

biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in for Jamabandi, mutation and maps

District overview

Arwal — a capital district with a new metro, a second airport and a Tal farm belt

Arwal is Bihar’s smallest district by area, about 626 sq km on the right bank of the Son river, with a population of 7,00,843 at the 2011 Census (KVK Arwal district profile). It was carved out of Jehanabad and is a single sub-division of five blocks. Farmland here is flat alluvium, irrigated by the Son canal system, shallow wells and tubewells, and the district lies close enough to Patna that road projects drive much of the buyer interest.

Most of the recent news is about roads. Prabhat Khabar reports that NH-139 from Naubatpur (Patna) through Arwal and Aurangabad to Hariharganj on the Jharkhand border has been cleared for four-laning, about 88 km at about Rs 2,500 crore, with bypasses planned at five places (Prabhat Khabar, 18 Oct 2026). An Arwal bypass of 12.3 km, estimated at Rs 269.53 crore and a 730-day build, went to tender in September 2026 (Prabhat Khabar, 21 Sep 2026). Land surveys for the highway are under way in 17 mauzas (Prabhat Khabar, 13 Oct 2026), and a separate four-laning of NH-33 has begun with a survey of 17 more (Prabhat Khabar, 4 Nov 2026). Construction has not started on the bypass. A 336 km Buxar–Bhagalpur expressway through 13 districts that include Arwal was cleared by the state cabinet on 20 August 2026 (Prabhat Khabar).

For farmland buyers, Arwal splits into three working belts. Arwal block and the town form the administrative core on the Son bank, where the bypass and highway alignment matter most. Karpi is the market block, closest to the NH-33 survey. Kurtha, Kaler and Sonbhadra Banshi Suryapur are the farm blocks, dependent on canal, shallow-well and tubewell paddy and wheat. Land with a clear title away from the proposed alignments is the simplest to buy; land inside a surveyed mauza needs care.

  • Son canal plain
  • Arwal town
  • Karpi
  • Kurtha
  • Paddy and wheat belt
  • Near Patna
Locator map of Arwal district in Bihar

Transaction costs

Stamp duty & registration in Arwal

7%

General stamp duty from 19 June 2026, up from 6%

as reported by Prabhat Khabar; confirm at the sub-registrar office

2%

Registration fee on a conveyance deed

as stated in the 2017-18 state audit; confirm the current fee

19 June 2026

Revised MVR in force statewide

urban and peripheral areas doubled, rural raised 60%

Arwal follows the state rates. Prabhat Khabar reported that from 19 June 2026 the MVR was doubled in urban and peripheral areas and raised 60% in rural areas, with the general stamp duty at 7% (6% before) and a 0.5 percentage point concession for women buyers (Prabhat Khabar, June 2026). The CAG audit for 2017-18 gives a 2% registration fee (CAG report No. 2 of 2019). The MVR then rises 5% every financial year and is reviewed every three years. Converting farmland to non-farm use outside the urban area adds a fee of 10% of market value (Conversion Act 2010). Our stamp duty guide and MVR guide explain how to look up the rate on Nibandhan.

Know the belt

What is moving prices in Arwal

Reported highway and bypass developments; no listing-site prices are used.

Arwal town and Arwal block: the highway and bypass core

Bypass tendered, Sep 2026

Arwal town is the district headquarters and the seat of the Collectorate, on the right bank of the Son. The proposed 12.3 km bypass runs on NH-139 between km 54.2 and km 66.5 (Prabhat Khabar), and the Arwal block holds 5 of the 17 mauzas in the NH-33 survey (Prabhat Khabar). Plots near the old highway and the bypass line carry the most uncertainty over acquisition.

Check: the final bypass alignment, whether the plot is inside the municipal area, and the circle office record of acquisition notices.

Karpi: market block and NH-33 survey area

Four-lane land survey, Nov 2026

Karpi is a market block, and 12 of the 17 mauzas in the NH-33 four-lane survey lie in Karpi block (Prabhat Khabar, 4 Nov 2026). Farmland near the road is likely to be affected first when notifications arrive. Prabhat Khabar also reports traffic jams in Karpi market from stacked sand and aggregate (Prabhat Khabar).

Check: the survey list of mauzas, the plot’s distance from the road centreline, and mutation history.

Kurtha and Kaler: paddy-wheat farm blocks

Canal and tubewell paddy and wheat

Kurtha and Kaler are farm blocks of the district. The net sown area is about 43,100 ha with a cropping intensity of 197% per the contingency plan (ICAR-CRIDA), and rice dominates the kharif season. Farmland values here follow soil quality and canal access more than the highway.

Check: that the area on the Jamabandi matches the area on the ground, and which canal distributary serves the plot.

Sonbhadra Banshi Suryapur: the Son-bank block

Son river proximity

Sonbhadra Banshi Suryapur (Vanshi Surajpur) lies along the Son side of the district. Sand beds, river-bank land and canal command areas vary sharply over short distances, so soil and drainage are the main buyer questions.

Check: mutation history, any sand-mining or river-bank notification on the mauza, and the plot’s irrigation source.

Asking prices

We found no newspaper or official price series for Arwal farmland, so no price band is shown. Use the MVR and registered deeds.

Connectivity

How Arwal connects — road, rail and air

NH-139 and NH-110 road links, the nearest railheads and airports. Drive times are not given because no source was found.

🚗 By road

NH-139 (Naubatpur–Arwal–Aurangabad–Hariharganj)Runs from Patna’s Naubatpur through Arwal to Aurangabad and the Jharkhand border; four-laning of about 88 km was reported cleared in October 2026 (Prabhat Khabar).
Arwal bypass (NH-139)12.3 km, estimated Rs 269.53 crore, tendered in September 2026 with bids due 15 October 2026 (Prabhat Khabar).
NH-110 (Arwal–Jehanabad–Bihar Sharif)About 89 km four-lane upgrade reported at DPR stage in October 2024 (Prabhat Khabar); we found no later construction report.
NH-33 (four-lane survey)Land survey of 17 mauzas began in November 2026 (Prabhat Khabar).

✈️ By air

Bihta airportUnder construction near Patna; reported about 5% done in May 2026 with a 31 March 2027 deadline (Prabhat Khabar).
Patna airportThe nearest airport with scheduled services is at Patna.

🚆 By rail

Anugrah Narayan Road and JehanabadNearest stations on the Grand Chord and the Patna–Gaya line; Arwal itself has no passenger railway line.
Bihta–Aurangabad line (planned)A 118 km new line meant to connect Patna, Arwal, Daudnagar and Aurangabad; its first 13 km is stalled on a 2 km land gap (Prabhat Khabar, 24 Oct 2026).

No drive times are given because we found no source for them. Prabhat Khabar reports local demand for a railway line to Arwal (Prabhat Khabar).

Growth catalysts

Upcoming infrastructure & developments

Status labels reflect sources read in November 2026. Government-announced timelines are not guaranteed; items with a single or older source say so.

00Open

04Catalysts

Approved land survey Oct 2026NH-139 four-lane (Naubatpur–Arwal–Hariharganj)
Tendered Sep 2026Arwal bypass (NH-139)
Land survey Nov 2026NH-33 four-laning
DPR stage reported Oct 2024NH-110 (Arwal–Jehanabad–Bihar Sharif)
Approved land survey Oct 2026

NH-139 four-lane (Naubatpur–Arwal–Hariharganj)

Prabhat Khabar reports clearance of about 88 km of four-laning from Naubatpur through Arwal and Aurangabad to Hariharganj on the Jharkhand border, at about Rs 2,500 crore, with bypasses planned at five places. Land surveys are under way in 17 mauzas of Arwal.

Source: Prabhat Khabar, 18 Oct 2026; Prabhat Khabar, 13 Oct 2026

Length

About 88 km

Cost

About Rs 2,500 crore

Surveyed mauzas

17 in Arwal

Corridor

Naubatpur to Hariharganj

Land markets in the blast radius

  • Arwal
  • Kurtha
  • Kaler
Tendered Sep 2026

Arwal bypass (NH-139)

A 12.3 km four-lane bypass on NH-139 between km 54.2 and km 66.5, estimated at Rs 269.53 crore with a 730-day build period. Bids were due on 15 October 2026 and the tender was to open on 23 October.

Source: Prabhat Khabar, 21 Sep 2026

Length

12.3 km

Estimated cost

Rs 269.53 crore

Build period

730 days

Bids due

15 Oct 2026

Land markets in the blast radius

  • Arwal
  • Karpi
Land survey Nov 2026

NH-33 four-laning

Prabhat Khabar reports that four-laning of NH-33 has begun with a land survey of 17 mauzas, 5 in Arwal block and 12 in Karpi block. Acquisition notifications have not yet been reported.

Source: Prabhat Khabar, 4 Nov 2026

Surveyed mauzas

17

Arwal block

5 mauzas

Karpi block

12 mauzas

Stage

Land survey

Land markets in the blast radius

  • Arwal
  • Karpi
DPR stage reported Oct 2024

NH-110 (Arwal–Jehanabad–Bihar Sharif)

The Union road ministry reportedly issued a tender for a DPR to four-lane about 89 km of NH-110 through Arwal, Jehanabad and Nalanda districts. We found no later report of construction.

Source: Prabhat Khabar, 29 Oct 2024

Length

About 89 km

Districts

Arwal, Jehanabad, Nalanda

Stage

DPR tender (2024)

Construction

Not reported

Land markets in the blast radius

  • Arwal
  • Kurtha

Agriculture & terrain

Soil, crops & water in Arwal

Crop areas, soils and irrigation from the ICAR-CRIDA district contingency plan and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra profile.

Crops

Rice is the main kharif crop on about 44,100 ha, followed in rabi by wheat on 15,000 ha, lentil on 6,200 ha and chickpea on 4,900 ha (ICAR-CRIDA). Net sown area is about 43,100 ha and the cropping intensity is 197%, so many fields grow two crops a year.

  • Rice, then wheat
  • Rice on about 44,100 ha
  • Wheat on about 15,000 ha
  • Lentil on about 6,200 ha
  • Chickpea on about 4,900 ha

Soils

ICAR-CRIDA puts clayey soil on 55.5% of the district, fine sandy loam on 19.8%, coarse sandy loam on 14.9% and saline soil on 6.65%.

  • Clayey soil on 55.5% of the area
  • Fine sandy loam on 19.8%
  • South Bihar Alluvial Plain zone
  • Son canal plain

Horticulture

Mango is grown on about 226 ha, and potato on 3,500 ha, so horticulture is a small part of farm income compared with paddy and wheat.

  • Mango on about 226 ha
  • Potato on about 3,500 ha

Water and irrigation

About 26,500 ha is irrigated: shallow and dug wells serve 46% of it, deep tubewells 38% and canals 16% (ICAR-CRIDA). The district profile from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra notes that power and infrastructure limit how much farmers gain from irrigation (KVK Arwal).

Rainfall and flooding

Normal annual rainfall is 1,014 mm, of which about 972 mm falls in the monsoon season (ICAR-CRIDA).

At a glance

Patna vs. nearby districts

DistrictLand and waterWhat links it to Patna
Jehanabad (east)Shares the Son–Punpun alluvial plain farming of paddy and wheat; Arwal was carved out of Jehanabad.NH-110 from Arwal through Jehanabad to Bihar Sharif was reported at DPR stage for four-laning (Prabhat Khabar, Oct 2024).
Aurangabad (south)Upland farming towards the Jharkhand border; NH-139 runs on from Arwal to Hariharganj.Aurangabad is among nine districts where the cabinet approved heliports on 12 October 2026 (Prabhat Khabar).
Patna (north)State capital district; the statewide MVR revision of June 2026 applies there too (Prabhat Khabar).NH-139 begins at Naubatpur in Patna district, and Bihta airport is under construction (Prabhat Khabar).

No price series is shown for any district because none is sourced. Arwal figures are from ICAR-CRIDA, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra profile and Prabhat Khabar. Compare the MVR for each mauza before assuming land across a district line is cheaper.

Young paddy rows beside a field bund and a small irrigation channel on a farm plot in Arwal

District report — Arwal

Farmland India view

Why investors look at Arwal

What the road projects, the new government rate and the Son canal belt mean for a buyer.

A highway that is still being surveyed

NH-139 from Naubatpur through Arwal to Hariharganj has been cleared for four-laning, but the survey of 17 mauzas is only the first step (Prabhat Khabar, 13 Oct 2026). Farmland along the corridor can gain from better access, and the same land can lose area to acquisition. Buy only with the alignment in hand.

An Arwal bypass that has gone to tender

The 12.3 km Arwal bypass was tendered in September 2026 at an estimated Rs 269.53 crore, with 730 days allowed for the build (Prabhat Khabar). Construction has not begun, so land near the bypass line is still speculative until the contractor is appointed and notifications are issued.

A higher government floor

The June 2026 revision doubled urban and raised village government rates by about 60%, with stamp duty reported at 7% (Prabhat Khabar). A buyer in Arwal should budget the duty on the higher of the deed value and the MVR.

Small holdings and joint families

At about 626 sq km Arwal is Bihar’s smallest district by area, so parcels are small and family shares are common. Clean partition, mutation and a clear Khatiyan trail matter more than a bargain price.

Farm returns come from paddy and wheat

About 44,100 ha is under rice and 15,000 ha under wheat, with lentil and chickpea as pulses, and a cropping intensity of 197% (ICAR-CRIDA). Irrigation depends mostly on wells and tubewells, so check power supply and canal access for the plot.

Confirm Jamabandi, mutation, zoning and acquisition status directly — these are not certified by Farmland India’s review.

STRAIGHT TALK

Risks & challenges in Arwal

District-specific risks. Read the state page for the general Bihar risks on ceiling, conversion and records.

Acquisition and alignment uncertainty

Prabhat Khabar reports surveys in 17 mauzas for NH-139 and in 17 mauzas for NH-33 (NH-139, NH-33). Land inside a notified alignment is acquired at government-fixed compensation, and acquisition notices can reduce the plot you thought you bought.

Bypass and approvals not yet final

The Arwal bypass is only at tender stage (Prabhat Khabar). Dates, alignment and acquisition may change after the contract is awarded, so treat any price quoted for bypass-side land as a hope, not a fact.

Soil salinity and irrigation limits

ICAR-CRIDA records saline soil on 6.65% of the district (ICAR-CRIDA), and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra notes that power and infrastructure limit irrigation gains (KVK Arwal). Test the soil and confirm the irrigation source before you buy for farming.

Special survey in progress

Bihar’s special survey is targeted for December 2027 (Prabhat Khabar, 11 Mar 2026). Records may change as the survey reaches the mauza, so check the survey stage and any pending corrections.

Mismatched records

Old Khatiyan, digitised Jamabandi and the special survey's new records may not agree on area or owners. Compare all three with the physical plot and check the map before you pay (Bhu Naksha guide).

Joint family land

Unpartitioned land sold by one brother or heir can be challenged by the others. Ask for a partition deed or the written consent of every heir, and read the mutation history.

Colonies on farmland

Plotted colonies on agricultural land without conversion or an approved layout can leave buyers with plots they cannot legally build on or get a power connection for.

Under-valued deeds

Registering below the revised MVR invites a deficit-duty demand and penalties. Pay duty on the real value and keep payment records through banks.

Who to contact

Local revenue & planning offices

The Collectorate at Arwal, under the District Magistrate, runs the district. The sub-divisional officer at Arwal and the Anchal (circle) offices in the five blocks handle mutation, conversion and survey claims, and registration is done at the sub-registry office listed on the Nibandhan portal. Official pages: Arwal district website, Bihar Bhumi and Parimarjan.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

Everything buyers, NRIs and investors ask before their first reviewed farmland purchase in Arwal.

Visit full wiki

01 of 04

Is there a price guide for farmland in Arwal?

We found no newspaper or official price series for Arwal farmland, so none is shown. Check the Minimum Value Register for the mauza and land category, then compare it with recent registered deeds in the same village before you negotiate.

Transparency

Sources and references

Law and courts

Government

News

Further reading

Data-currency note: sources were read in November 2026. Project status, the MVR and township rules change often; check the linked source and the relevant office before relying on any figure.

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