Nature lover who created butterfly park suspects PMC employees of using the park to make money on the side
Nature lover who created butterfly park suspects PMC employees of using the park to make money on the sideu00a0u00a0u00a0
Pune's butterflies are losing their only protected haven. Aranyeshwar Butterfly Garden, which was developed in 2005, is already in ruins. This when it has not even been inaugurated and opened to the public despite having been in existence for four years now. Sumitra, who created the garden with her late husband PC Thomas, a retired forest official, told MiD DAY that the specially planted trees in the garden are being brutally hacked by Rupesh Vispute, the PMC gardener.
"Hundreds of caterpillars of the Common Crow butterfly feed on the Nerium tree in the garden, and the Cachia tree offers nourishment to 100s of immigrant caterpillars. Both these trees have been cut by the gardener."
Thomas added, "Careless hacking of trees is defeating the very purpose of creating the butterfly garden, that was created as a protected habitat for tropical butterflies."
Corporator Aba Bagul had helped the couple obtain the plot on which the butterfly park stands. T C Thomas passed away in 2007, and Sumitra says she suspects the plant cuttings and caterpillars and pupae are being illegally sold out to students.
Gardener Rupesh Vispute claimed that the trees were hacked on the orders of Assistant Garden Superintendent Santosh Kamble, who said, "I hadu00a0 only asked him to trim the branches that block the path."
PMC Garden Superintendent Bhanudas Mane said the PMC intends to inaugurate the garden in August.
Vinit Sheikh (9), a student who has been waiting for the butterfly park to open was saddened by the news of the damage to the trees. "Ped mat kato nahi to butterflies ko rahne ke liye jagah nahi rahegi," Sheikh appealed.
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