Additional funds have been sanctioned for the Tropical Butterfly Conservatory being established by the Forest Department in Srirangam here.
The State Tourism Department has allocated Rs. 3.3 crore for the conservatory coming up on an area of 25 acres of land at the Upper Anicut reserve forest between the Cauvery and the Kollidam rivers.
The funds would be utilised for building additional facilities at the conservatory.
Forest Department officials said the funds would be utilised for establishing an amphitheatre, putting up animatronic models, construction of additional walkways, provision for passive cooling inside the indoor conservatory, setting up pipelines for irrigation and drinking water, and establishment of disabled-friendly restrooms.
The work at the conservatory taken up by the Public Works Department at a cost of Rs. 1.55 crore was in its final stage of completion.
Using funds sanctioned already, the Forest Department had completed restroom, ticket counter, breeding laboratory for non-scheduled butterflies, boundary wall, façade, establishment of an outdoor conservatory, passive humidifier, ponds, active humidifier, floral and nectar patches and walkways.
The conservatory also features ‘Nakshatra Vanam’ in which tree / plant species corresponding to the 27 stars of Hindu almanac and 12 zodiac signs had been planted.
The total project cost of the conservatory would be a little over Rs. 12 crore following the sanction of additional funds. Steps were being taken to open the conservatory for public next month, officials said. The conservatories are being established to foster in-situ and ex-situ conservation of butterfly species and create awareness of the role of butterflies in maintaining ecological equilibrium.
The Petitions Committee of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday inspected the works at the conservatory. The members of the panel, MLAs B. Ganesan, R.N. Kittusami, K. Ponnusamy, Vijayalakshmi Palanisamy, Dr. Haridas and A. Ramasami, and chairman and Government Chief Whip R.Manoharan went around the conservatory to get first-hand exposure to the works being carried out at the park.
The Legislative Assembly secretary A.M.P.Jamaludeen, Collector K.S.Palanisamy, District Forest Officer N.Satish and PWD officials accompanied the committee.
