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Where is Kolkata growing?

24 August, 2023
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When the British took over governance of the city of Calcutta (today’s Kolkata) in the late 19th century, its population was only 2, 00,000 and its total area 50 square kilometres.

In 150 years, the city grew four times this size. Between 2003 and 2014, a further 24,179 hectares of built-up area were added under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). And the population, currently, stands at 15.5 million (1.55 crore).

The scarcity of housing space in Kolkata, like in other metros, has resulted in potential home-buyers moving towards city outskirts as the availability of substantial free land within city precincts is next to nowhere.

To the west flows River Hooghly, so no expansion is possible in that direction. To the north, development has been slow since land is hard to come by; roads are narrow and population density very high. Thus, the city has expanded eastwards (the wetlands having largely been filled), north-eastwards and southwards.

More than a decade ago the present WB government initiated expansion in the north-east by adding Salt Lake and South Dum Dum municipalities to KMC areas.

More recently, expansion within KMC area was mainly happening southwards. What is Rashbehari Avenue today used to be considered the southernmost border of the city. Now, prime real estate in south Kolkata has moved up to the south-eastern outskirt of Garia-Baruipur, most of it unplanned development and already congested.

Behala, to the south-west, was added to KMC area at the same time as South Dum Dum. It has since undergone rapid unplanned growth. Consequently, a ‘gem‘ of planned real estate development, further along Diamond Harbour Road, is catching homebuyers’ eyes…Joka.

With the Joka-Esplanade Metro line looming large in the horizon, people are discovering that this south Kolkata ‘outskirt’ will soon be only 30 minutes away from Kolkata’s Park Street!

The area is undergoing large-scale infrastructure development, which will place it in the league of some of the city’s most prominent neighbourhoods in the next few years. Compared to the city’s north-eastern and south-eastern outskirts, Joka already tops the popularity ratings (if home-booking data is anything to go by). The reasons could be:

Affordability

Housing prices in Joka are 7% lower than neighbouring Behala and 40% lower than nearby Tollygunge. That’s quite something…to appeal to any buyer!

Open Space

A sprawling, gated residential project like Gems City Joka could only be developed here rather than anywhere else in south Kolkata. It offers wide open spaces, a 40,000 sq. ft. Club and recreational facilities, and a diverse range of dwelling options, like 1-2-3BHK apartments and independent bungalows.

Connectivity

Diamond Harbour Road connects Joka to areas such as Howrah, Esplanade, Rashbehari and Sealdah, and James Long Sarani connects Joka to various other parts of the city. The connections will improve drastically after the Joka-Esplanade Metro line and Diamond Harbour Road 4-Laning are completed.

Social Infrastructure

Vivekananda Mission School, St Francis Elite School, Gems Akademia International School and Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C) to name a few, are located in the region. Speciality hospitals and nursing homes abound. Among restaurants and cafes, there are more than 200 options to choose from, including some famous chains.

Along with improved connectivity, real estate all along the corridor is expected to grow. Proposed new malls coming up are Acropolis South and Deluxe, along the Behala–Joka stretch. Rasapunja Bazar, Thakurpur Bazaar and Thakurpur Nutan Market exist alongside the leading omni-channel lifestyle retail chain, Reliance Trends. Branches and ATMs of bank majors like SBI, HDFC, Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Union Bank have come up.

Investment Return

According to Times Property, prices in Joka have increased by about 90% in the last five years, indicating the area’s investment potential. Experts note that with multiple on-going infrastructure projects waiting to enhance the region’s growth possibilities (including those by Gems Group) prices of properties in Joka will appreciate 100-125% in value by 2030.
Evidently, south-westward is the way to go, for Kolkata!

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