Coming up at Pong Dam: Shikaras, hot air balloons, floating hotel

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

Stretched up to an area of 24,529 hectares with few habited islands, the reservoir caters to the needs of fishermen in a big way and is the most important source of economy to hundreds of families engaged in the business.

The state government has allocated Rs 70 crore for introducing hot air balloons and the construction of a floating hotel besides supporting the youth by providing financial assistance to buy boats with an aim to create employment opportunities, Sukhu said.

Migratory birds come to the Pong Dam wetland during winters — October onwards — following which a large number of bird watchers visit this place.

The government is keen to develop it as an internationally recognized wetland and the much-visited area for bird watching as it receives more than one lakh migratory birds every year, which is a major attraction to tourists besides ornithologists, the statement added.