LUDHIANA, Aug. 14 — Nearly 140 years after timber-laden boats last navigated its waters, the Sirhind Canal’s Bathinda branch in Doraha is preparing to host boating once again, marking both a revival of a colonial-era tradition and a new push in Punjab’s tourism policy.
The Water Resources Department is leading the project, which will introduce motorboat rides along a three-kilometre stretch near the old bridge at the start of the Sidhwan Canal. An adjoining amusement park is also under development to draw visitors. Officials say this is the first formal navigation activity on the canal since the 1880s, when Doraha served as a hub for transporting wood to market.
“This is perhaps the first time since the British era that boating will be done in this canal,” said an executive engineer from the department’s Ropar division. “It’s part of a broader push to attract visitors, preserve heritage, and generate revenue.”
A private contractor has been awarded a seven-year lease to operate boating services and develop recreational infrastructure. Most activities will be concentrated in the first kilometre of the boating stretch.
Work on the site is progressing rapidly — landscaping is complete, three motorboats have arrived, and a test run is expected within days. The amusement park will include children’s rides, a restaurant, and trained drivers following strict safety protocols.
Heritage enthusiasts say the revival reconnects Ludhiana with a chapter of its past when the Sirhind Canal was more than an irrigation channel — it was a working transport artery. “It is a good initiative of the government to start boating at this canal. Likewise, canal rest houses should also be revived as these can turn into major tourist attractions,” said a Ludhiana-based heritage supporter. “Many rest houses have been sold off, but those remaining should be preserved.”
Locals welcome the change as more than just leisure. “Boating in the Sirhind Canal brings a refreshing change,” said Navdeep Kaur, a schoolteacher from SBS Nagar. “It’s not just recreation — it’s a way for families to connect with nature and local history. If maintained well, it can become a weekend highlight for people of nearby towns.”
Others stress the importance of safety. “It’s great to see boating returning, but authorities must ensure life jackets, trained staff, and emergency protocols are mandatory,” said Anuj Sharma, a city resident.
The initiative takes cues from a similar project launched in Ropar five months ago. The department has already floated a tender for boating near Neelon Bridge on the Ludhiana–Chandigarh highway, with another proposal for the Sidhwan Canal stretch from Brahman Majra to Lohara.
If successful, these projects could transform Ludhiana’s canals into vibrant hubs of leisure, heritage, and tourism — where the ripples carry both weekend laughter and the echoes of a bygone era.
