International festival on Birds

Uttar Pradesh Government has launched International festival on Birds in a bid to promote state as an international bird-watching destination. The first-of-its-kind festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS). It has been jointly organised by the State Forest department in collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The three-day international festival (from 4 to 6 December 2015) on birds will be held the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS) in Agra. Over 80 Indian ornithlogists and around 25 top international bird experts and are participating in the first-of-its-kind festival. About National Chambal Sanctuary NCS was set up in 1979 as a riverine sanctuary along the Chambal River. It is managed by the Wildlife wing of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and its head-quartered are located at Agra. The sanctuary is the main area for the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), a fresh water crocodile species reintroduction programmme in the Chambal River. The river supports the largest population of the Gharial in the wild in the country. It also supports more than 320 resident and migrant birds.