The Himachal Pradesh government is planning to start water sports and plying of shikaras at Maharana Pratap Sagar, a paradise of winter migratory birds, particularly the Siberian cranes, popular as the artificial Pong Dam reservoir on Beas River in the picturesque Kangra Valley.
Flying thousands of miles from their native habitat in high-altitude lakes in Central Asia to avoid the extreme winter, the bar-headed geese, an endangered migratory bird species, descend upon the Pong wetlands every winter. Black Faced Plywood
An official statement said that the government is exploring possibilities to create adequate infrastructure around the lake and start water sports and other allied activities to attract tourists throughout the year.
The government will support the youth by providing financial assistance to purchase shikaras, aiming to create employment opportunities in the area.
The government has allocated Rs 70 crore for the purpose. As per the plan quoting Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu, the introduction of hot air ballooning activities and the construction of a floating hotel are on the anvil.
Besides, hot air ballooning activities may commence in the Pong Dam area to provide an added attraction to adventure lovers.
Stretched up to 24,529 hectares with few habited islands, the Pong Reservoir caters to the needs of fishermen in a big way. It is the most important source of economy to hundreds of families engaged in the business.
The Pong wetlands are also home to many native birds like the red jungle fowl, large Indian parakeet, Indian cuckoo, bank mynah, wood shrike, yellow-eyed babbler, black ibis, paradise flycatcher, crested lark and the crested bunting.
A total of 425 species of birds, both migratory and local, 18 snakes, 90 butterflies, 24 mammals and 27 fishes have been recorded in Pong so far.
The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the headline and text.
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