Pulicat Lake Environs Ready for 2-Day Flamingo Festival From Today

TIRUPATI: With Pulicat Lake environs receiving a substantial arrival of migratory birds from far-away lands, Forest authorities have scheduled the annual Flamingo Festival for two days on Saturday and Sunday along the Pulicat coast in Tirupati district.

The event is organised when the migration peaks to highlight the importance of wetlands and birdlife.

Pulicat Lake, spread across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, is India’s second-largest brackish water lagoon and a Ramsar site. Between October and March, it attracts over 80 species of birds, including flamingos, pelicans and painted storks.

Flamingos migrate to the region from areas, such as Rann of Kutch and parts of Central Asia. They, along with other birds, are drawn by the lake’s shallow waters that support algae and other food sources. The lake also supports the livelihoods of more than 40,000 fisherfolk of the surrounding villages.

The festival will be organised at multiple locations, including the Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Atakanithippa, B.V. Palem Point, Ubbalamadugu waterfalls and Irukkam Island. A two-day workshop on biodiversity and environmental conservation will be organised at the Sri City with support of Bombay Natural History Society, focusing on wetland conservation and ecological issues.

Sullurupeta will be the main venue for the festival, where cultural programmes will be organised, along with exhibition stalls set up by the Satish Dhawan Space Centre–Sriharikota, Sri City, handloom-weaver societies and various government departments.

Officials said the stalls will provide information on science, industry, local crafts and government welfare schemes. Adventure activities, like paragliding and hot air ballooning, will be held at the B.V. Palem boating point.

Local fishing communities will take visitors on boat rides, charging ₹30 per head for a 40-minute ride and ₹100 for a round trip to Irukkam Island. Life jackets are mandatory for boating. CCTV cameras and drones will be deployed at key locations to monitor crowds and ensure security.

Authorities will organise an outreach for 3,000 school students each day, with 6,000 of them benefitting over the two days. Their expenditure will be borne by the government. Free bus services will operate from Nelapattu, Sullurpeta and B.V. Palem. Officials said the initiative is to help students understand birdlife, wetland ecosystems and conservation practices.

Held annually since the early 2000s, the Flamingo Festival has become a regular feature each year when the presence of migratory birds peaks at the Pulicat during the winter. It highlights the ecological importance of the lake, underlines the need for its long-term conservation and promotes regulated tourism in the region.