Agartala, Dec 04, 2022, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Agartala Dec 04: Minister of Information and Cultural Affairs, Sushanta Chowdhury inaugurated the Butterfly Festival-2022 organized under the initiative of Tripura Forest Department at the Heritage Park, Agartala here on Sunday.

The minister thanked the forest department officials for organizing such a beautiful event related to butterflies that would increase people's knowledge about butterflies, its species and kinds available in the state.

According to the experts in Wildlife and environment, Butterflies are deemed to be the indicators of a good ecological balance and healthy nature.

And, in Tripura, the forest department has decided to promote butterflies as an aspect of tourism development in Tripura.

Previously, the only available information about Tripura butterflies was “Trishna Butterfly Park” towards south Tripura district where people from different parts of the state and outside visit to experience soothing appearance of butterflies of several kinds.

But now it has been realized that Butterflies could also become a good tourism prospect for the state. Following which the Tripura Forest Department took the initiative to organize “Butterfly Festival-2022” at Heritage Park, in the capital city.

According to sources in Tripura Forest Department, “There are ample scopes of promoting Butterflies as a tourist attraction in Tripura. The state, which has its own variety of vegetation having many plants with medicinal values grown here naturally, shelters more than 250 species of Butterflies. All these Butterflies have their own specific character and give the spectator an unforgettable experience”.

“In Tripura, the department had carried out a survey across the length and breadth of the state, and 28-odd places scattered all over the state were mapped as the spots where Butterflies are seen very frequently”, he added.

Meanwhile, in its endeavour to promote Butterfly, Tripura Forest Department declared “Common Birdwing” as the state Butterfly recently and took some steps to promote the pristine insect as a tool to attract tourists.

 

Speaking to the reporters at the inaugural function, Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said, “Butterflies are the form of nature that represents freedom, beauty, peace. Where they live, highlights freshness! They flap their wings, they float, they sparkle in colour, they play hide and seek, butterflies are such amazing creatures of nature”.

“Apart from these, butterflies play an important role in maintaining the balance of nature. Their main function is to help pollinate plants. It is through this that plants are able to reproduce”, he added.

According to the research of scientists, it is possible to produce solar energy through butterflies. Studies have shown that butterfly fins can generate 10 times more solar energy than conventional solar panels. As a result, butterfly wings can capture solar energy and generate high-power electricity from it.

Scientists are working on and have had success in commercially exploiting the colour scheme of butterfly wings for use in various electrical devices and other solar energy plants.

It is also possible to earn a large amount of foreign currency by exporting butterflies.

As the butterfly gives an early warning of environmental disaster, it also plays a special role in protecting the natural environment.

Climate change can be learned by observing the behaviour of butterflies. The role of butterflies in the identification and evaluation of medicinal plants is many.

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. Between 20 and 30 million dollars’ worth of butterflies are traded worldwide 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”.

The day’s #PrajapatiUtsav “Butterfly Festival-2022” was also attended by District President of West Tripura Zilla Parishad Antara Sarkar Deb, Principal Secretary of Tripura Government Forest Department and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) K S Shetty, Tripura Scatform Project Chief Executive Officer and Project Director Dr. Avinash Kanfare, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Executive Officer of Campa Project R K Shyamal, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden Praveen L Agarwal, District Forest Officer, West Tripura District Jaykrishnan V K along with various levels of forest department officials.