Additional attractions planned in butterfly park

Chennai: Mini fountains, cascades and water bodies along attractive walkways and seating arrangements are among the numerous attractions that would greet the visitors to the butterfly park and Nakshatravanam in Upper Anaicut reserve forest, near Srirangam, in the state.

The state tourism department, which has taken up the task to spice up the tropical butterfly park at Srirangam in Tiruchy, has sanctioned Rs 3.37 crore to take up the beautification work. This will serve as an added attraction at the butterfly park.

The mini fountains, cascades and water bodies along walkways would be created at five locations along with proper seating arrangements. Interestingly, in the evening, the walkways will be lit up with solar energy. In addition, two ‘animatronics’ — motion sensor-based activation — insect model made of fibre and silicon (3 m long) will be established.

Improvement to landscaping, raising hedges and group planting apart, a weather station with equipments to monitor temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, sunshine hours, wind velocity and direction, will be installed.

Climate controller to facilitate the maintenance of temperature, humidity, would be installed in the indoor conservatory. An air-conditioned amphitheatre with a butterfly museum will be built.

The tropical butterfly conservatory is coming up on an area of 10 hectares at a cost of around Rs 8.67 crore. The Nakshatravanam will come up inside the sprawling conservatory which would have different species of butterflies. Presently, efforts are on to expedite the works.

According to sources, it would also have air-conditioners and greenhouses to enable the butterflies to reproduce under natural conditions.

A good number of nectar and host plants have been planted in the park by the forest department in addition, saplings of select varieties of trees that attract butterflies have been raised.  The park would host 40 local and special species of butterflies.