Himachal Pong Dam to be developed as major tourism destination: CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Monday that the state government has allocated Rs 70 crore to introduce water sports and other activities at Pong Dam in Kangra district to create job opportunities and develop it as a major tourist destination.

The government intends to develop the dam, which has been declared a Wetland of National Importance in November 2002, by creating additional infrastructure and even starting Shikara’ in the backwaters of the lake, according to a statement issued here.

Famous as a home to migratory birds, particularly Siberian cranes and hundreds of other species from Russia and the trans-Antarctic regions, the Pong Dam is an artificial reservoir on the Beas River in the Shivalik Hills wetland of Kangra district.

Extending to an area of ​​24,529 hectares with few inhabited islands, the reservoir largely meets the needs of fishermen and is the most important economic source for hundreds of families engaged in the business.

The state government allocated Rs 70 crore for the introduction of hot air balloons and the construction of a floating hotel, as well as supporting youth by providing financial assistance to buy boats to create job opportunities, Sukhu said in a statement.

Migratory birds arrive at Pong Dam Wetland during winters, starting in October, after which a large number of bird watchers visit this place.

The government is interested in developing it as an internationally recognized wetland and a much-visited area for bird watching, as it receives more than one lakh of migratory birds every year, which is a great attraction for tourists apart from ornithologists, add the statement.