The food street plan on Sidhwan Canal has run into fresh trouble.

The water resources department has invited fresh bids for boating and water sports at Sidhwan Canal in Ludhiana, with plans to develop the canal as a tourist hub.

Work on four bridges over Sidhwan Canal in Ludhiana was nearing completion on May 16, 2025.

Acting on Punjab and Haryana High Court directions, Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) identified 47 unauthorised commercial buildings along Sidhwan Canal road stretch from Ferozepur Road to Ladhowal bypass. The identification followed a petition by Ludhiana Citizen Association NGO seeking enforcement of planning norms and removal of unauthorised structures along the canal corridor between NH-95A and NH-44.

Detailed survey found 47 illegal commercial establishments including restaurants and business outlets violating approved land use norms.

GLADA status report noted: 25 applications relating to 21 unauthorised establishments received under 2013 regularisation policy were rejected after scrutiny; four applications concerning three establishments submitted under 2018 regularisation policy; regularisation certificates granted to one plot and two buildings under 2018 policy were cancelled.

GLADA issued warning directing violators to voluntarily remove or demolish illegal constructions at their own expense without delay. Non-compliance will invite strict action under Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, including sealing and demolition without further notice. Demolition costs will be recovered from violators. GLADA must submit action-taken report to HC in approximately two weeks.

GLADA has started work on the Missing Link–2 Part-C road in Ludhiana, following directions from Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian. The two-way, four-lane road will connect Malerkotla Road with the Sidhwan Canal–Lohara Bridge stretch and include a 20-foot-wide service road, bringing its total width to 200 feet. Plans include a landscaped central verge with plantation and modern street lighting. Awarded through e-tendering, the project is scheduled for completion by October 2026, with five years of maintenance included in the contract. It will provide an alternative route from Ferozepur Road towards Malerkotla Road and Delhi Road, ease congestion near Sidhwan Canal and cut travel time by nearly 20 minutes. About 25,000 commuters are expected to benefit. The Malerkotla Road junction will also be upgraded and maintained.