Tourists make beeline for Atapaka Bird Sanctuary

Forest Department has plans to develop the centre, says official

Students of K.V.N. Zilla Parishad High School coming out after enjoying a boat ride in Kolleru Lake on Sunday.

ATAPAKA (KRISHNA DIST.): With few days left before the end of the auspicious Kartika Maasam, the Atapaka Bird Sanctuary located in Kolleru Lake in the Kaikalur mandal in the district became the centre of attraction for tourists on Sunday.

Visitors from Eluru, Vijayawada, Ravulapalem, Rajamahendravaram, Jangareddygudem, Gudivada and other places thronged the sanctuary, had a close look at the winged visitors and enjoyed boat ride.

Many tourists climbed the birds watchtower to have a complete view of the birds paradise in the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary. The visitors visited the Environment Education Centre, arranged by the Forest Department officials on the bank of the lake.

Picnic

It is a day out for the students of K.V.N. Zilla Parishad High School, of I. Bhimavaram village in Akiveedu mandal in West Godavari district, who visited the bird sanctuary to enjoy the holiday on Sunday.

“This is the first time I visited the lake. We enjoyed the boat riding too. At the Environment Education Centre, we learnt about many birds species,” said a ninth class student B. Lakshmi.

Kaikalur Deputy Range Officer (DRO) of Forest Department Eshwar Rao said many tourists had been visiting the sanctuary for the last one month. “We arranged boating, drinking water and other facilities at the lake,” he said.

“For the first time, we watched Pelicans and Painted Storks from a very close range. The education tour will help us learn about different species of birds and fish in the lake. We thank the Forest Department and our school management for arranging the tour," said a student V. Srikanth.

Security

With the increase in tourist arrivals, enough security arrangements have been made around Atapaka Bird Sanctuary. “We arranged boating for adults and children, snacks and toilet facilities at the education centre. Many students from schools and colleges in East and West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and other places are visiting the birds sanctuary. Forest Department has more plans to develop the centre," Mr. Eshwar Rao told The Hindu.