Now, tourists visiting Pong lake to pay entry fee

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR, JULY 10

The Pong Lake Biodiversity Conservation Society (PLBCS), a government-sponsored body, has imposed entry tax on tourists along with their vehicles visiting the Pong lake on the foothills of Kangra valley.

Chief Conservator Wildlife (Forest), Dharamsala, is the chairman of the society duly registered under the Societies Act. This society comprises representatives of different concerned departments (fisheries, revenue, police, tourism, forest and BBMB) as members of the organisation.

As per information, the general body of the PLBCS at its meeting at Pong Lake over a month ago had decided to boost tourism activities in the lake. It was decided to collect entry tax from the visitors and their vehicle from July onwards. The society has erected an entry gate equipped with CCTV cameras near Nagrota Surian, the gateway of the Pong lake. It has started collecting Rs 5 from children below 12 years and school goers, Rs 10 from every Indian tourist and Rs 50 from foreign tourist visiting Pong lake.

Apart from this, Rs 100 has been imposed as entry fee for light vehicle (four wheeler) and Rs 20 from two wheeler for their entry into the Pong Lake area. In order to provide parking facility to the tourists visiting Pong lake a parking lot is also being built. The society will also charge parking fee after its commissioning in near future.

The PLBCS has allowed the entry and movement of authorised fishermen duly registered with the fishermen societies in the Pong kake area for catching fishes. They will be issued permit-cum-identity cards and their two wheelers or bicycles will be pasted with exemption stickers.

Pong lake is also known as International Ramsar Wetland and the wildlife sanctuary which is visited by lakhs of migratory birds with the onset of winter season. This lake has immense tourism potential but the successive state governments have remained dormant in harnessing it.

Krishan Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, wildlife wing of the forest department, Hamirpur told The Tribune that the general body of the PLBCS had started collecting entry fees from July 5 with two main objectives to launch lake conservation activities and promote eco-tourism in the Pong kake area. He said the area for movement of pedestrians in the lake area was being identified by displaying sign boards in the lake area.