NELLORE: With the district witnessing a surge in daily infections of Covid-19, the conduct of ‘Flamingo Festival’ at Sullurpeta in the district has become doubtful. The festival is organised every year between November and January, to give fillip to the tourism at Pulicat Lake and Nellapattu Bird Sanctuary. During the three-day festival, which is being organised by the State government since 2001, cultural programmes are conducted to depict the distinctive features of the migratory birds.
The birds that visit the Pulicat Lake for nesting offer an amazing experience to the visitors. In view of Sankranti holidays, the forest department has made elaborate a r r ang ement s fo r the visitors. During the festival which is organised every year at Tada, Sullurpeta and Doravarisatram in the district, the government operates tourist buses to Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary and boating for visitors at Pulicat lake. Migratory birds can be seen at Bheemunivaripalem in Tada mandal, Pulicat Lake at Atakanitippa in Sullurpeta mandal.
It may be recalled that the district administration had organised the festival in January 2020, where notable artistes from the State as well as neighbouring Tamil Nadu performed various cultural programmes representing the culture and tradition of the region. In 2020, the Flamingo festival was attended by approximately five lakh visitors. Birds of 11 different species migrate to the region for breeding.