The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Exploring tourist potential

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 18, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Exploring tourist potential

Ramesh Susarla

Two-pronged strategy to develop Uppalapadu

UPPALAPADU (GUNTUR DT): Uppalapadu, a breeding place for migratory birds, will soon be developed into a tourist destination through a two-pronged strategy – providing better amenities to visitors and creating conducive atmosphere for birds to nest. The Department of Forests, buoyed by the arrival of white-winged Pelicans in large numbers during this season along with black-winged Darters from the same family, has begun planting ‘sarkar tumma’ (P rosopis julifera) saplings, a thorny bush preferred by migratory birds for perching as they have strong tree-top branches.

Saplings are being planted at barren places on the mounds in the middle of the five-acre pond donated by villagers for the winged visitors. Last year, some new mounds were also formed for the purpose.

Signboards

Divisional Forest Officer Rammohan Rao told The Hindu that the department would slowly replace all these bushes with fast-growing native variety of ‘tumma’ (Acacia nilotica), which withstand the caused by droppings of the birds. At a meeting with Joint Collector Kantilal Dande, the department chalked out a plan of action to educate people on the species of birds that arrive here, their eating habits, usual places of living, their breeding cycle, broad outlines for identifying a bird.

Large signboards with pictures of frequently visiting birds would be put up with all these details on the southern side of the tank. The Pelicans and the Darters usually live in north-eastern states, Gujarat and come down to the South for breeding, while the black-winged Open Bill Storks and White Ibis have their habitat in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The present walking path would be strengthened with interlocking tiles, better seating arrangements. Wild saplings of golden bamboo from East Godavari forest areas would be sown all over the bunds as they were also bushy and best suited for nesting, wildlife expert A. Joseph said.

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