Spread over an area of about 24,000 hectares in Jawali, Dehra and Nurpur subdivisions on the foothills of Kangra district, the Pong Dam lake has become a major attraction for tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh. The foreign migratory birds, which throng the lake with the onset of winter, are making it eco-friendly. Different types of migratory birds from Siberia, Mongolia, China, Tibet, Pakistan and Iraq have started descending on this wetland since November after covering a distance of thousands of miles. A large number of birds arrived here in the beginning of December.

Pong wetland, which has been renamed Maharana Pratap Sagar, has Ransor island in the middle of the lake. The migratory birds fly over the lake in flocks during the day and add to the glamour of the lake. They stay at night on the island in the middle of the lake. In view of their frequent and seasonal stay the state government has declared the lake as a wildlife sanctuary. A few years back this has got international recognition when it was declared International Ramsor Site.

Even though poaching is strictly prohibited under the Wildlife Act, poachers kill these birds with impunity. No doubt, the Wildlife Department has tried to check poaching but violators adopt new methods. They serve poisonous foodgrains to the birds and sell these birds at the rate of Rs 30 to Rs 50 each. Social organisations and environmentalists have demanded action against poachers. These migratory birds which throng the lake in November and December every year return to their native places in March. The migratory birds include pintails, coots, black and white ducks, brahminy ducks and pochards.

According to Mr D.S Dadwal, range officer Wild Life Department, Nagrota Surian, over 80000 migratory birds of 84 species had been sighted at the Pong Lake till December 21. Last year the department had recorded the arrival of about 1.5 lakh migratory birds. The department is also organising special awareness camps to educate the locals about the possibilities of spreading bird flu a dreaded disease, through migratory birds. In order to check the bird flu virus the veterinary experts Wild Life Department from Shimla has recently collected samples of droppings of migratory birds. The laboratory report is, however, still being awaited.