FAIZAN ALI WRRAICH

LAHORE
 

The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has made all arrangements for inauguration of Butterfly House in Johar Town.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar is expected to inaugurate the event most probably in two weeks.

Five species of butterflies, some of them from northern areas, are in the house. Butterfly House will showcase forgotten butterflies of Punjab to visitors. There is a dedicated corner where production of butterflies will be carried out.

In addition to Butterfly House, PHA has set up a mini ‘Fruit Garden’ where five types of fruit trees -- black plum (Kala Jamun), mango, grapefruit, orange, mulberry (Shehtoot) and berry -- have been planted. These fruits have turned the environment pleasant for residents as well as birds.

Experts say butterflies’ main source of food is nectar and butterflies are important component of ecosystem.

Migrated birds from the area have started coming back to spend mornings and evenings. In the evening time, birds chirping in the area can be clearly heard.

The land, on which 200ft long and 60ft wide Butterfly House is built, was previously used for garbage dumping for two decades in the Board of Revenue Society in Johar Town.

PHA Director General Ghulam Farid said the idea behind the butterfly house was to contribute to bringing back the migrated and forgotten butterflies of Lahore.

To provide the forest-like environment to butterflies, centre height of the Butterfly House remained 15ft that has been built at the cost of Rs25 million.

PHA Director Horticulture Zone-I Javed Hamid told The Nation that PHA staff shifted around 50 trucks of garbage from the area and within days the butterfly House was raised.

Residents expressed pleasure with the opening of such an environment friendly venture in their area. Shafi Abdullah, resident of BOR Society, hailed the decision and said the land had been in the eyes of encroachment mafia for decades.

Another resident, Asma urged government to open the Butterfly House as soon as possible for the children and families. “In the middle of urban area, this would be a pleasant site to visit for families,” she said. 

According to informed sources, the PHA management is unable to make a progress on constructing a greenbelt in front of the Butterfly House because there were half dozen structures built over the time and are showing resistance to make any greenbelt.

“LDA has also informed us that in 2015 it has issued NOC letters to the building owners and ‘legitimized’ their structures. The project is for public and it is upto authorities concerned to look into the matter,” a source said.