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Context

• Over 25,000 people displaced by the Pong dam on the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh have been waiting to be relocated for over five decades.
• Many of them were surviving by farming around the dam region.
• But a draft policy to declare Pong Dam eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) is likely to impact these oustees again, who are planning to protest against the Union ministry of forest, environment and climate change (MoEFCC ) decision.

About Pong Dam

• The Pong Dam, also recognized as the Beas Dam, is an embankment dam made of earth located on the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh.
• Its primary purposes include water storage for irrigation and the generation of hydroelectric power.
• Construction commenced in 1961, concluding in 1974, making it the tallest dam of its kind in the country at that time.
• The heightened water level led to the formation of a man-made lake named Maharana Pratap Sagar, named after the prominent Mewar ruler.
• This lake has gained renown as a bird sanctuary, attracting various species such as the Bar-headed Goose and the Red-necked Grebe.
• Features
• The Pong Dam is a 133 m tall and 1,951 m long earth-fill embankment dam with a gravel shell.
• The dam is 13.72 m wide at its crest, which sits at an elevation of about 435.86 m above sea level.
• The base of the Pong Dam is about 610 m wide and has a total volume of 35,500,000 metre cube.

Key Facts about Beas River

• The Beas River is a river in north India
• Origin: The River rises 4,361 metres above sea-level on the southern face of Rohtang Pass in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.
• Course: It flows for some 470 kilometres to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab.
• The river was also known as Arjikuja of the Vedas, or Vipasa to the ancient Indians, and the Hyphasis to the Ancient Greeks.
• Tributaries:
• The main tributaries are Bain, Banganga, Luni, Uhlal, Awa, Banner, Chakki, Gaj, Harla, Mamuni, Parvati, Patlikuhlal, Sainj, Suketi and Tirthan.
• The tributaries that branch out in the Northern part are snow fed and hence, perennial.
• The tributaries down the South are seasonal and get their water from the rains.

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