Foodies in Ahmedabad will have to put their Manek Chowk night food court plans on hold, as the bazaar is set to close for at least a month. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has initiated a drainage line project in the Khadia area, prompting a temporary shutdown of this iconic food hub.

While the exact start date is yet to be announced, officials expect to release further details within two days.

On the 30th of October, 2024, the AMC’s standing committee approved projects worth ₹151.14 crore to upgrade water and sewer lines in Jamalpur, Shahpur, and Shahibaug. The initiative has now been extended to Khadia, where several wards in the old city have been struggling with sewer backups caused by rodent-damaged drainage lines.

To tackle this issue, the civic body plans to install double-wall corrugated pipelines, a solution expected to provide a long-term fix. Officials have assured that once the drainage work is completed, improvements to the Manek Chowk food court will follow. Despite a five-year-old promise to revamp Manek Chowk into a ‘happy food street,’ progress has been slow.