Story link: http://www.goodnewsindia.com/index.php/sieve/article/welcoming-pelicans-back-to-kolleru

Kolleru is a large lake in Andhra Pradesh that lies between Krishna and Godavari rivers. For long an unspoiled habitat for flora and fauna, aquaculture had been destroying the ecological balance in recent decades. Generations of Kolleru residents have sustained a love for pelicans, a fact observed and recorded by the British in 1883.  Alas, the last pelican was sighted in 1994.

One young IAS officer Lav Agarwal, went to work last year and convinced the people to allow destruction of aquaculture farms. He worked out alternative livelihoods through responsible tourism. A Supreme Court order in June, 2006 accelerated the reclamation of encroached land.

Efforts have paid off. The pelicans have returned; 350 new nests have been sighted this year. And so have other birds come to the lake restored to its old glory. Report.  Overview on Kolleru and how to get there