Maharana Pratap Sagar
India · Asia
About
Maharana Pratap Sagar, also known as Pong Reservoir or Pong Dam Lake, is a large reservoir in Fatehpur, Jawali and Dehra tehsil of Kangra district of the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It was created in 1975, by building the highest earthfill dam in India on the Beas River in the wetland zone of the Siwalik Hills. Named in the honour of Maharana Pratap (1540–1597), the reservoir or the lake is a well-known wildlife sanctuary and one of the 90+ international wetland sites declared in India by the Ramsar Convention. The reservoir covers an area of 24,529 hectares (60, 610 acres), and the wetlands portion is 15,662 hectares (38, 700 acres). The Pong Reservoir and Gobindsagar Reservoir are the two most important fishing reservoirs in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh. These reservoirs are the leading sources of fish within the Himalayan states. Several towns and villages were submerged in the reservoir and many families were displaced as a result.
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