Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, Panchkula
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About Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary
Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Shivalik foothills of Chandigarh city, near Sukhna Lake. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1998. Closed during rainy season. Pass is required to visit which is issued by Forest Department Office, Sec-19B, Chandigarh.
History
The history of the Sukhna Lake and the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is intertwined. The Sukhna Lake was part of the development plans of the city of Chandigarh and was planned and built from 1958, through the sixties and seventies. It was an artificial lake that was fed with rain water from the catchment areas in the Shivalik Hills. Siltation was a big problem for the Sukhna Lake that had to be tackled and it was minimized by many engineering and soil conservation methods. A large scale afforestation program was taken up in the catchment area.