Mysterious flame in Pong Dam worries Kangra residents

Pong Dam (Kangra) Himachal Pradesh, May 13 : A mysterious flame at the Pong Dam site near Bhatoli village in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh is drawing a large number of inquisitive visitors here.

The mysterious 10-inches high flame has been burning bright for four to five days.

The news that the flame spread like a wildfire in the area led to several people thronging to the area from near and far.

It was first noticed by a couple some days ago. But it appears to be harmless, as children of the locality can be found playing with the flame at different places.

People engaged in digging the land observed that by lighting matchsticks they could ignite this flame.

"Almost for two to three days, we have been watching all this. Earlier, it was said that fire is coming out from a particular spot. But we found that wherever you strike the matchstick, the fire is lit. Even though everyone is excited, the government should soon do something about it. It could be gas or anything else, we do not have much knowledge about it," said Shivani Sharma, a resident.

"Some elderly people are assuming it to be case of Godly manifestation, while some kids are quite excited about it. We want the government to take necessary steps," she added.

Though proper and thorough investigations are yet to start off, parents of the brood and the local residents seem to be quite surprised and disappointed over the entire issue, especially, the concerned local authorities' disinterest.

Residents have been looking forward to the team of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) experts to visit the site and survey the area without any delay.

"It can be anything, either gas or something else. Nothing could be found so far. Once the ONGC team reaches the spot, only it can tell what it is actually," said Rohit Kumar, another local resident.

The dam area is experiencing a dry spell these days. By Akhilesh Bharati

ANI