Pong Dam : A total of 92,885 migratory birds of 85 species have already been observed in Pong, one the largest man-made wetlands in the foothills of the Himalayas in the picturesque Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh, and their number would increase in the next few weeks. This came to light during the visit of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu at the Pong Dam in Kangra district. The Chief Minister was informed that the number of migratory birds visiting Pong Dam this year has risen significantly.
As of December 2024, a total of 92,885 migratory birds have visited and the count is expected to cross one lakh by the end of this month. In comparison, 85,000 birds visited the dam from October to January the previous year. On an average, 100 species of migratory birds visit Pong Dam annually. In this season 85 species have already been observed, an official statement said.
Flying thousands of km from their native habitat in high-altitude lakes in Central Asia to avoid the extreme winter chill, the elegant shaped bar-headed geese, an endangered migratory bird species, regularly descend on India. The Pong Dam wetlands have emerged as their preferred wintering ground. Besides doing bird watching, Sukhu along with his Cabinet colleagues visited ancient temples at Bathu-Ki-Lari, located on one of the islands of Pong wetlands.
The Chief Minister said this area has immense potential for tourism and the government is making significant efforts to promote tourism in the region. The Pong wetlands, some 250 km from Himachal Pradesh’s capital Shimla, and 190 km from Chandigarh, are 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. Sukhu said migratory birds from Siberia and Mongolia flock to the Pong Dam, attracting visitors from across the country.
He directed the Forest Department to ensure the safety of these birds. For the convenience of tourists, two boats have already been deployed and two more speed boats would soon be added to facilitate the visitors. Additionally, basic facilities for tourists would be developed in the area. The Chief Minister said the government’s initiatives have led to an increase in tourist footfall in the region, with nearly 30,000 tourists visiting the area last year.
“Efforts are underway to introduce water sports activities at the Regional Water Centre (near the Pong Dam barrage) to boost tourism in the area,” he said. He said in Basa under the Jawali Assembly constituency a Wildlife Interpretation Centre has been established at a cost of Rs 3.20 crore to provide educational resource material.