Pong Dam Lake declared wetland if international import

"The Pong Dam lake in Kangra district has been declared 'Ramsar site-wetland of international importance' by the Ramsar Bureau, Switzerland," said Himachal Power minister Vidya Stokes.

"The Pong Dam lake in Kangra district has been declared 'Ramsar site-wetland of international importance' by the Ramsar Bureau, Switzerland," said Himachal Power minister Vidya Stokes.

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A proposal for declaring the Pong dam lake as Ramsar site was formulated by the state council for science, technology and environment, Shimla and submitted to the Swiss ecological organisation through the union ministry of Environment and Forests.

The Pong dam lake, also called the Maharana Pratap Sagar, was the first lake in Himachal to earn this distinction, she said. She further added the distinction would provide an opportunity to get international technical support for conservation and expertise for sustainable use of the wetland through participatory mechanism.

It supports more than 54 species of water fowl. The sanctuary constituted an important habitat for migratory water fowls and more than 1,15,000 birds had been spotted during this winter. The aquatic bio-diversity is equally diverse as the lake is fed by the Beas river and perennial streams emanating from the Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra valley.