In a major achievement for the city, the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, has been conferred with the prestigious SKOCH Silver Award under the category ‘Municipal Governance – Water Supply Infrastructure’ for the implementation of the 580-MLD canal-based Ludhiana Surface Water Supply Scheme (LSWSS).
The award recognises the project’s contribution towards sustainable urban infrastructure development, water security and citizen-centric governance. The SKOCH Award, instituted in 2003 by the SKOCH Group, is among country’s most respected independent honours and recognises initiatives that contribute significantly towards socio-economic development, governance reforms and sustainable growth. The award ceremony was held in New Delhi on Saturday. The project is being implemented by the Ludhiana MC with technical support from the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC), under the leadership of Mayor Inderjit Kaur, Municipal Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar, Joint Commissioner Vineet Kumar, Chief Engineer Ravinder Garg and Superintending Engineer Parul Goyal.
Funded jointly by the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Punjab Government, the Ludhiana Surface Water Supply Scheme is one of the largest urban water infrastructure projects in the state. It includes the construction of a 580-MLD water treatment plant at Bilga village, near Sahnewal, laying of nearly 165 km of transmission pipelines, rehabilitation of 66 existing overhead service reservoirs (OHSRs) and construction of 70 new OHSRs across the city. The project aims to provide clean, treated surface water to nearly 30 lakh residents, reducing dependence on depleting groundwater resources and ensuring long-term water security. At present, it has achieved around 37 per cent physical progress, with work progressing simultaneously on multiple components.
Expressing satisfaction over the achievement, the MC Commissioner said the award reflects the collective efforts of the MC, PIU, PMIDC, consultants, contractor and all stakeholders. While congratulating the team over the achievement, he said the recognition would further motivate the team to deliver a world-class, sustainable and resilient water supply system for Ludhiana.
The MC was also conferred with the ‘Best Smart City Water Initiative Award’ during the Global Sustainability and Innovation Awards, 2026, held in New Delhi in March this year.
