Thrilling water sports coming soon at HP’s Pong dam
Tourists will soon be able to enjoy motorboat rides, cruises, boat experiences, and thrilling water sports experiences
With the completion of formalities for selecting an operator to manage the water sports and related activities, Pong Dam, one of India’s largest man-made reservoirs located in Himachal’s Kangra district, will soon witness the launch of these ventures.
Tourists will soon be able to enjoy motorboat rides, cruises, boat experiences, and thrilling water sports experiences. The district water sports and allied activities society has completed the formalities for selecting an operator to manage the water sports and related activities.
District administration officials said that the selected operator has been instructed to commence activities soon, aiming to develop Pong Dam also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar as a key tourism destination. Kangra deputy commissioner (DC) Hemraj Bairwa said the administration is committed to completing the project on time. “There is immense potential for tourism development in the Pong Dam area and as per government directives we are making serious efforts to enhance tourism here,” he said.
Tourism department officials have also been directed to implement an action plan for developing tourism infrastructure in the area. In addition to boosting tourism, the administration has outlined a comprehensive roadmap to create self-employment opportunities.
Notably, in October last year, water sports activities were launched at Gobind Sagar Lake in the Mandi Bharari area of Bilaspur.
Moreover, the officials said that every possible effort will be made to keep the Pong Dam area and its waters free from pollution. They stated that a sustainable, eco-friendly tourism model will be developed to maintain environmental cleanliness. Additionally, the wildlife wing of the forest department will undertake special initiatives for the beautification of the dam.
The Pong Dam Lake, one of India’s largest man made reservoirs, is rich in unique biodiversity. The dam was built in 1975 and named in honour of Maharana Pratap. The reservoir or lake is a famous wildlife sanctuary and one of the 25 international wetland sites declared by Ramsar Sammel in India. A reservoir has been constructed on the river Beas in the wetland of Shivalik hills of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. The vast water body is nearly 24,529 hectares (60,610 acres), and part of the lakes is 15,662 hectares (38,700 acres).