Twin islands in Pathankot set to boost tourism

Environment Ministry gives nod to develop Kalara and Palangi as eco-hotspots.

The district is all set to get a major fillip in the tourism sector with the Union Ministry for Forests, Environment and Climate Change giving the long-awaited signal to develop the twin islands of Kalara and Palangi, located in the midst of the Ranjit Sagar Dam Lake, as world class tourist spots.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), confirmed the development and added that the ball was now in the court of the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB).

A senior officer said the PIDB was in the process of finalising a global tender after which work would commence. The project, which will be replete with water sports facilities, is expected to bring the city’s sagging economy back on the tracks.

Ecological hotspots are areas with outstanding biodiversity or a high concentration of biological values. These values can refer to threatened or endemic species, unique ecosystems, or globally important numbers of a particular species.