TMC to build butterfly park near Manpada

As the state-of-the-art butterfly garden at Olve has been attracting a number of tourists and experts, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is slated to build another butterfly park on about 88,000 square foot area at Late Pramod Mahajan Nature Park near Manpada. As the tenders for the proposed park are already floated on ‘Built Operate Transfer (BTO) model for three years maintenance, officials confirmed that the extensive park will serve the biodiversity conservation purpose of TMC at large.

TMC officials confirmed that the park, built at the proposed to be built at the cost of around Rs 58,39,500, is slated to play an integral role in butterfly conservation due to its proximity to Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The core idea is that the two-acre area will serve as an extension to the park, allowing butterflies and other avian biodiversity to have more a larger greener patch as home.

“We intend to set up an International Quality Butterfly as this existing garden is adjoining Sanjay Gandhi National Park and is expected to attract lepidopteron faster than any other locations. It will be a well-planned butterfly park and will be developed as eco-tourist destination that will house at minimum 50 species of butterflies,” said TMC spokesperson Sandeep Malvi.

As the interested bidders are to be evaluated against the total of 100 marks, apart from the turnover of the interested parties to be able to maintain the park for three years, officials are also considering the parties that have experience of managing one theme park and one garden at least. Around Rs 8 lakh out of the total cost is to be invested in planting different species that will attract butterflies, and, at the same time, Rs 30,000 is the cost assigned to maintain the garden for the next three years.

Mr Malvi added that though the city has a butterfly garden run privately at Olve, this is an attempt to provide an opportunity to the public at large by building it at an open TMC garden.

“It will be open for all and most probably will have minimal charges for people. Biodiversity conservation is indeed our core motto apart from building a tourist attraction,” added Mr Malvi.