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 man-made Pong Dam reservoir on the 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, regularly descend Pong wetlands every winter.
The government is exploring possibilities to create adequate infrastructure around the lake and start water sports and other allied activities so that it can attract tourists throughout the year, an official statement said.
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, introduction of hot air ballooning activities and the construction of a floating hotel are on anvil.
Besides, hot air ballooning activities will also be started 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 and 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 of snake, 90 butterfly, 24 mammal and 27 of fish have been recorded so far in Pong.
India’s forest cover increased consistently over last 15 years: Environment Ministry at UN forum
India's forest cover saw a consistent increase over the last 15 years, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) said at the recently concluded United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) in the US.
4.8-magnitude quake hits Andaman Islands
A medium-intensity earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter Scale jolted the Andaman Islands region in the early hours of Wednesday.
4 killed, 97 injured as 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolts Taiwan
Four people were killed and 97 others sustained injuries after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake rocked Hualien in Taiwan on Wednesday morning, local media reported.
Odisha: DRI rescues 351 Indian tent turtles
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials in Odisha have rescued 351 rare Indian tent turtles during a raid at Manguli Square in Cuttack district.
Snowfall eludes Shimla, but Manali wraps in white blanket
He said picturesque Kalpa, some 250 km from Shimla, also experienced 1.6 cm of snow. Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti district saw 50.6 cm snow, state’s highest, with a low of minus 0.5 degree. Keylong had 21 cm snow.
Weather office issues adverse advisory for 4 days in J&K
Day temperatures are expected to drop across J&K in the coming days as the Meteorological (MeT) department said rain/snow will lash the union territory from February 17.
Snowfall in Kashmir, morning flights cancelled & others on standby
Officials at the airport said that all morning flights at the airport were cancelled due to continuing snowfall, and flights for the rest of the day have been put on standby.
Freezing weather causes over 320 flight cancellations at Germany's largest airport
On Thursday morning, airport manager and owner Fraport AG announced that flight disruptions and cancelations were expected, reports Xinhua news agency.