Lake Town, Kolkata Explained

Lake Town
Settlement Type:Neighbourhood
Pushpin Map:India West Bengal#India3
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in West Bengal, India
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:West Bengal
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:North 24 Parganas
Subdivision Type3:Region
Subdivision Name3:Kolkata Metropolitan
Subdivision Type4:Metro Station
Subdivision Name4:Belgachia and Jessore Road(under construction)
Government Type:Municipality
Governing Body:South Dumdum Municipality
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Languages
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Bengali, English
Timezone:IST
Utc Offset:+5:30
Coordinates:22.605°N 88.405°W
Postal Code Type:PIN
Postal Code:700089
Area Code Type:Telephone code
Area Code:+91 33
Registration Plate:WB
Blank1 Name Sec1:Lok Sabha constituency
Blank1 Info Sec1:Barasat
Blank2 Name Sec1:Vidhan Sabha constituency
Blank2 Info Sec1:Bidhannagar

Lake Town is a neighbourhood in South Dumdum of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). One of the coveted neighbourhoods of the metropolis, it has a police station.[1]

Location

Lake Town is surrounded by Bangur Avenue, Dum Dum Park and Kestopur in the north, Salt Lake in the east, Belgachia, Ultadanga in the South and Patipukur, Paikpara in the West. Kalidaha (Kalindi) is situated to the west of Lake Town, on the other side of Jessore Road.

The neighbourhood was developed in a planned manner after the Independence of India. Today, it is one of the important food and leisure hub in west Bengal having many international fast food chains and a shopping mall.[2]

Notable residents

Real Estate Boom

A planned township with large open spaces, parks and a lake, Lake Town is one of the most sought-after residential areas of Northern fringes of Kolkata. Its proximity to Dumdum/Kolkata Airport and commercial centres like Salt Lake and New Town has been a catalyst for the rising property prices in recent years.

Some of Kolkata's prominent Real Estate firms have their presence in Lake Town.

Transport

Buses ply along Jessore Road, Lake Town Road and VIP Road in Lake Town. There is also Ultadanga Flyover which was inaugurated in 2011. The flyover connects EM Bypass (Bidhan Sishu Udyan, Ultadanga) with VIP Road (Dakshindari, Lake Town) and has reduced traffic jam at "Hudco More" of Ultadanga.[5]

Bidhannagar Road railway station, Patipukur railway station, Kolkata Station and Dum Dum Junction are the nearest railway stations of Lake Town.

The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is at a distance of about 7 kilometres from Lake Town.

Kolkata Time Zone Tower

Standing on the VIP Road, the Kolkata Time Zone Tower is a one-third sized replica of Big Ben in Westminster, London. Completed in October 2015, the tower was conceived by Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, with the intention of incorporating London's architecture in Kolkata. The project, headed by the South Dum Dum Municipality, cost Rs 1.36 crores (USD) and was the subject of widespread local opposition, including a door-to-door petition, on the grounds of both cost and of cultural inappropriateness.[6]

The tower is 30 metres in height, while the Big Ben is 96 metres. It has 10 floors and the 4 clock faces, sponsored by the Anglo Swiss Company, each are 3.6 metres in diameter, compared to 7 metres of the original.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lake Town police station. bidhannagarcitypolice.gov.in. 2024-08-15.
  2. News: Fast food chain spreads wings. https://web.archive.org/web/20100705031526/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100701/jsp/calcutta/story_12620002.jsp. dead. 5 July 2010. 1 December 2011. The Telegraph. 1 July 2010.
  3. News: Not another brick in the wall. Shamik Bag. . 13 August 2010. 16 March 2013.
  4. Book: Khan, Charu. Charu Khan, Portrait of an Artist. 4 July 1989. M C Sarkar Sons Pvt Ltd. 9788171570133. Google Books.
  5. Web site: Ultadanga Flyover. The Times of India.
  6. Web site: Big Ben Kolkata: The London clock tower replica is not a Durga Puja marquee . . 17 October 2015 . www.indiatoday.in . India Today / Living Media India Limited . 19 August 2022.
  7. Web site: Kolkata's 'Big Ben' . Majumder . Arindam . 7 November 2015 . www.business-standard.com . Business Standard Private Ltd . 19 August 2022.