Water sports and other activities to be introduced at the Pong Dam in Kangra to to develop it as a major tourist destination

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Monday that the Himachal Pradesh government has allocated Rs 70 crore to develop the Pong Dam in Kangra as a significant tourism attraction and to add water sports and other activities.

The government plans to build new infrastructure and perhaps create a "Shikara" in the lake's backwaters in order to develop the dam, which was designated a Wetland of National Importance in November 2002.

The Pong Dam is a man-made reservoir on the Beas River in the wetland of the Shivalik hills in Kangra district and is well known as a haven for migratory birds, notably the Siberian cranes and hundreds of other species from Russia and trans-Antarctic areas.

The reservoir, which covers an area of 24,529 hectares and has just a few inhabited islands, greatly meets the demands of fisherman and is the main source of income for hundreds of people that are involved in the industry.

In order to generate jobs, the state government has set aside Rs 70 crore for the introduction of hot air balloons and the building of a floating hotel in addition to helping the young people by giving them financial aid to acquire boats, according to Sukhu.

When migratory birds arrive at the Pong Dam wetland in the winter, starting in October, a lot of bird watchers gather here to see them.

Since it gets more than a thousand thousand migratory birds each year, which is a big draw for visitors in addition to ornithologists, the government is determined to promote it as a globally recognised wetland and the much-visited place for bird viewing, the statement continued.