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Paradise lost? Neglect ruins tourism infra at Pong Wetland

Rs 3.20-crore Wildlife Interpretation Centre inaugurated at Bassa recently, but existing facilities lie in bad shape
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The tourist huts constructed at Suknada near Nagrota Surian in the Pong Wetland area lie unused.
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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu recently inaugurated a Rs 3.20-crore five-storeyed Wildlife Interpretation Centre at Bassa near Nagrota Surian in the Jawali Assembly constituency. The centre aims to enhance the tourist experience and provide educational resources about the Pong Wetland. However, the state government has not taken steps to operationalise the 15 tourist huts at Suknada, built in 2012 under NABARD funding during the Congress government led by the late Virbhadra Singh.

The single-room tourist huts, constructed by the Wildlife Wing of the State Forest Department, were designed to promote eco-tourism and provide accommodation for visitors to the Pong Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary. However, 10 of the huts lack doors, and all are overrun with bushes and wild weeds due to neglect by the authorities. This has rendered the investment futile, as the huts remain unusable, failing to attract tourists or meet their intended purpose.

A visit to the Pong Wetland revealed further signs of neglect. The bird species identification boards, meant to assist tourists and bird watchers, are obscured by thick vegetation. The ticket counter at the sanctuary’s main gate remains closed, resulting in no tourist data being recorded. Additionally, facilities such as e-rickshaws, four-wheelers and motorcycles intended for tourist rides in the wetland area are gathering dust. There are no operational motorboats to ferry tourists to “Rancer Island” and bicycles meant for exploring the lake area are missing.

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Tourists and local environmentalists have urged the state government to maintain and preserve these facilities to provide a better experience for visitors. BJP leader Sanjay Guleria, who contested the last Assembly elections from the Jawali constituency, alleged mismanagement of funds allocated for tourism infrastructure. He raised concerns about the possibility of a scam and called for a free and fair investigation into the matter. “Crores of rupees have been spent on developing tourism infrastructure, but poor upkeep has rendered it useless,” he lamented.

The Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife), Hamirpur, stated that the tourist huts had been included in the centrally sponsored Swadesh-02 scheme, and funds would soon be available for their completion and facelift. He added that two motorboats had been repaired and would soon be available for tourist use. Sarita Kaundal, officiating Range Officer of the Nagrota Surian Wildlife Range, acknowledged the closure of the ticket counter due to staff shortages and assured that it would reopen shortly. She also mentioned plans to open another ticket counter at Bathu ki Ladi, a popular area within the wetland, to accommodate the rising footfall.

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The neglect of tourism infrastructure at Pong Wetland has highlighted serious lapses in maintenance and management by the concerned authorities. While new initiatives like the Wildlife Interpretation Centre are commendable, restoring and maintaining existing facilities is crucial to attracting tourists and promoting eco-tourism in the region.

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