The annual Flamingo Festival began on a colourful note at Sullurpeta and the surroundings of the Pulicat lake on Saturday.
Bird-watchers from various parts of the State as well as the neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka flocked the picturesque lake to have a glimpse of flamingos, painted storks, egrets, grey pelicans and grey herons, among others. Thanks to heavy rain this year, the lake is brimming with water, attracting more migratory birds from Siberian countries.
Kicking off the two-day State Festival, Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana said the government was developing a tourist circuit with the assistance of the Centre to fully tap the eco-tourism potential of the district.
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“The nation lags behind countries like Singapore and China, which attract more tourists than India,” he said, adding that while Singapore with less land area earned income to the tune of Rs. 2,00,000 crore from tourism, China netted an income worth over Rs. 29,00,000 crore.
Transport Minister Sidda Raghava Rao, who inaugurated the stall put by the Sriharikota Space Centre to highlight the achievements of the Indian Space Research Organisation, said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had allotted Rs. 1 crore for the conduct of the State Festival despite resource crunch in the wake of bifurcation.