Ludhiana: Few places in the industrial city of Ludhiana offered people a lush green getaway like Sidhwan canal waterfront once did. For residents of Sarabha Nagar and nearby areas, it was once a place for walks and yoga sessions in the inviting greens. Today, the stretch lies desolate, with sand covering large swathes. Walkers have all but disappeared. The situation worsened after water supply lines were laid beneath the waterfront a couple of months ago as part of the surface water supply project. While the area was supposed to be restored after the work, residents say the damaged stretch has been left unattended. Ironically, the waterfront project won an award in Aug 2022 for its landscaping and beautification work along the Sidhwan Canal under the Smart City Mission. The award was conferred by the Smart Cities Council India. The Rs 5.2 crore project was aimed at improving the environment and green cover, creating social infrastructure and making optimum use of leftover land along the canal. Conceptualised and executed under the Smart City Mission, the project started on Aug 28, 2019, and was completed on Nov 30, 2020. It covered a 1,100-metre-long stretch, with a width of 20-22 metres. A BRS Nagar resident, Inderpal Singh, said, âThere was a time when special yoga sessions were held early in the morning and residents used to enjoy the morning vibes here. Now, things have changed. We can understand if water supply pipelines had to be laid, but the area should have been restored immediately afterwards.â He said while authorities wait for roads to settle after sewer or water supply works, restoring the waterfrontâs green cover should not require much time. He also claimed that residents now avoid the stretch, with only a few people visiting it, and recalled incidents of theft in the