Locals’ participation key to Pong tourism promotion: DC

Dharamsala, August 29

“Native inputs must be incorporated in the Pong Dam area tourism development plan, which is currently under conceptualisation through Swadesh Darshan,” said Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa, while presiding over the District Destination Management Committee meeting under Swadesh Darshan — an ambitious programme of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

According to him, the participation of locals should be ensured for expanding tourism activities at Pong.

The meeting discussed in detail the master plan being made to develop the area under Swadesh Darshan 2.0.

During the discussion, the DC said the consultancy firm should take suggestions from locals for tourism activities or projects likely to be operated in and around Pong Lake.

Highlighting the state government’s commitment to developing Kangra district as the tourism capital of the state, he stated that special efforts were being made by the government and the district administration to promote tourism-related activities in the area.

The areas of Matiyal, Khatiyar, Nangal Chowk, Nagrota Suriya and Haripur-Guler would be developed for tourism, he added.

The DC said land had been selected to develop tourism activities in Khatiyar, with district officials having visited the spot.

Cottages, pools, spas and restaurants, among other structures, would be built here to develop tourism, he added, stating that the administration would focus on the promotion of water sports, adventure sports, local food, culture and art. He emphasised on creating walking trails, cycling trails and keeping ample provisions for waste management.

Dehra SDM Shilpi Bekta, Fatehpur SDM Vishrut Bharti, Jawali SDM Bachitra Singh and DFO (Wildlife) Reginald Royston joined the meeting through video conference.

Residents welcome administration’s concerns

• People living in the region have welcomed the DCs concerns for the region
• They are also of the unanimous view that any plan to promote tourism made without incorporating the local sentiment would be a futile exercise, as happened in the past
• They opine that in the last two decades, huge funds spent here have miserably failed to bring about the desired results
• Majority of the facilities made at Dhaliara, Nagrota Surian, Khabbal and Pong Dam are lying unutilised and a few are even locked — a sheer waste of public money
• “Not even a penny has been spent on monuments at Haripur, which have world-class historicity owing to their unparalleled contributions to art, literature and culture. Huge gateways, ponds and temples with over 400-year-old carved stones can be seen lying in an utterly unattended state nearing extinction every passing day,” said Haripur resident Barjinder Singh