Agartala: The Butterfly EcoPark at Chottakhola, close to the Trishna WildLife sanctuary is the first butterfly park of northeast and it has become a major tourist attraction in the state. It is located in a village near Indo-Bangladesh bordering area in South District and was inaugurated in 2016 on 5.5 hectares of land.
There are 250 species of butterflies in this park and tourist from different parts of the Country and also from Bangladesh visit the park.The park is near the endangered bison park at Trishna wildlife sanctuary and Indo-Bangla Maitri Park to commemorate the Bangladesh liberation war so that three places can be visited at once.
The Deputy Conservator of Forest, Krishnagopal Roy said there is a breeding facility and many favourite plants of butterfly are planted for creating a good habitat for them.
The Tripura Tourism minister Sushanta Chowdhury said Trishna Wild Life sanctuary and its surroundings attract a large number of tourists and it will help in economic development of the state.
According to wildlife and environment experts, butterflies are deemed to be indicators of a good ecological balance and healthy nature. The forest department has decided to promote butterflies as an aspect of tourism development in Tripura as tourists from the state and even from an outside visit here.
The department has carried out survey across the state and found that such parks could be set up in twenty more places, forest officials said.The lifespan of butterflies is very short as they live only from 15 days to about 30 days. But even in this short period of time, the butterfly brings joy to people.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), KS Shethy said “Even though the size of Tripura is small, there is no dearth of wildlife and biodiversity here. The forest department is trying to increase the number of butterflies to make the tourism industry of the state more attractive.It also possible to earn a large amount of foreign currency by exporting butterflies.
These Butterflies are not only a subject of beauty or research, but also of economic importance. Commercially importing and exporting butterflies can generate millions of dollars in business each year.
Raising a note of concern, the minister said, In recent times, the number of butterflies and their natural habitats are decreasing alarmingly due to global environmental pollution caused by humans and climate change. This is why they need to be preserved.
