As the Smart City mission nears its conclusion, civic officials have expressed their desire to complete on-going projects by the end of March this year. However, given the slow pace of the projects, this goal may remain out of reach.

Despite the significant time already spent, several projects remain unfinished, including the 24x7 surface water supply initiative for selected areas, bioremediation of legacy waste (first phase), and the establishment of construction and demolition waste plants. Municipal Corporation (MC) officials stated that they would transfer funds from Ludhiana Smart City to the MC to avoid any complications in completing the projects at a later stage.

One of the first projects announced was the laying of water supply lines and arranging underground water tanks for the 24x7 water supply in selected areas under the Smart City Mission. However, nearly five years later, the work is still incomplete, and the deadline has been extended until the end of March. Additionally, the installation of smart UID number plates outside houses has faced delays. Sources revealed that since contractors withdrew from the project, authorities would need to float tenders again. The first phase of bioremediation of legacy waste is also pending, and officials expect it to be completed within one to two months.

Other on-going projects include the construction of basketball courts at Guru Nanak Stadium, the establishment of a construction and demolition waste plant, an all-weather swimming pool, and the construction of a bridge over Buddha Dariya near Chand Cinema.

A significant challenge for the MC will be completing works that were hurriedly inaugurated before the MC elections. These include the renovation of Rose Garden and the construction of bridges over Buddha Dariya and Sidhwan Canal. According to officials, these projects were recently handed over to contractors, and it will take them at least six months to complete, particularly with the bridges.

A senior MC official stated that they had instructed the contractors to complete the pending work within the given timeframe. However, delays occurred at some sites due to shortages of construction materials and the unavailability of skilled labour. He mentioned that funds had already been earmarked for these projects and once work commenced, no major issues were expected to arise.

MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal assured that the projects would be completed on time, as they had urged contractors to meet the deadlines. He confirmed that some projects would be completed in January, while others would be finished by February. He also mentioned that they were consistently monitoring the remaining projects.

The MC had received Rs 9.59 billion under this mission, of which Rs 9.42 billion had already been utilised.