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The Gobind Sagar over the river
Satluj, is the result of the huge
hydel dam at Bhakra and is named in honour of Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh
Guru.
THE BHAKRA DAM
One of the world's highest gravity dams, the Bhakra rises 225.5m above
its lowest foundations. Under the supervision of the famous American
Dam-builder, Harvey Slocum, its work began in 1955 and was completed in
1962. Incidently, Slocum had no formal training as an engineer, but his
conceptions and designs had been proven successful.
To maintain the level of after, the flow of the river Beas was also
channeled to the Gobind Sagar by the Beas-Sutlej
Link, which was completed in 1976. Today, this dam feeds electricity and
water to several states of north India. Its reservoir- the Gobind Sagar -
is 90-km long and encompasses an area of approximately 170-sq-km.
The Water Fowl Refuge
As far back as 1962, the Gobind Sagar was declared a "Water Fowl
Refuge" and ever today, hosts a variety of water and shore birds.
Fishing is a regular activity
and 51 species and sub-species have been recorded. The varieties found
over here include Labeo dero (Gid), Tor putitora (Mahsir), Mystus
seenghala (Singhara), mirror carp and shore birds. Fishing Licences may be
obtained from the Department of Fisheries at Bilaspur.
Water sports are available- as are speed-boats and ferry rides. In
October and November, when the water level of the reservoir is at its
peak, a series of regattas are also organized by the Department of
Trourism and Civil Aviation. Water-skiing, Sailing, kayaking and
water-scooter racing become available at this time.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Connected by a rope-way, the shrine of '
Naina Devi' overlooks the
Gobind Sagar. The adjoining wildlife sanctuary holds sambhar, wild boar,
barking deer and red jungle fowl. Several old forts and the towns of
Swarghat and Bilaspur are near the Gobind
Sagar. Bilaspur has a large sports complex.
The mirror carp hatchery is also accessible from the lake.
This vast reservoir lies in the districts of Bilaspur and Una. The town of Bilaspur is 83-km from the railway station at Anandpur Sahib.
Bilaspur has both Hotels and Rest Houses.