According to the 2001 census, the population density of the state of West Bengal in India was 903 per sq. km. while Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) was bursting at its seams with a staggering density of 24, 760 per sq. km., making it one of the most densely populated metropolis in the world. The population growth has been registered at 4.1%, still the lowest among million-plus cities in India. This rising need for space led to an expansion and creation of a satellite township, known as New Town, on the north-eastern fringes of the city.

While New Town is considered as one of the fastest growing planned new cities and is poised to be the industrial hub of West Bengal, it comes at a serious cost. The area it is being built on contains wet lands, cultivable lands and fisheries. The arable land and water bodies, which once sufficed so many needs, will soon be turned into a concrete jungle. So, while expansion may seem like a solution to the problem of space and overpopulation, little do we realise that we may be paving way for more serious problems - ecological, social and economical.