It’s a great thing to get your kids acquainted with the various species of butterflies, but here’s a caution note.If you plan to take them to the Butterfly Park at Kankaria lake, do not go in with high expectations.The park was built in 2012 at a whopping Rs89 lakh. Various species of plants and flowers were planted to create a habitat for butterflies; however, the attraction does not appear to be very strong for the winged creatures. Currently, the park has hardly any butterflies. Even the Rs 10 per ticket may seem like a wasteOfficials at the zoo department of AMC blame the absence of butterflies on the lack of a dome, which is necessary during hot summers, at the park.Known to be fragile creatures, butterflies are indicators of a healthy environment.Zoo department sources said that the park has 33 species of butterfly which can be seen in large numbers during winters.Zoo superintendent R K Sahu said, “During summers, butterflies look for a cool spot and mostly refrain from coming out. For butterflies to come out during summers, we need to construct a dome and that needs permission from the National Zoo Authority and infrastructure needs to be constructed as per their plans.” He added that as many as 150 varieties of flowering plants including Arabian Jasmine, Tulsi and others have been planted in the park and are being maintained. “We have also built a fountain and a waterfall to complete the habitat,” Sahu said.Interestingly, at the time of proposing the park, AMC had announced that butterflies would be seen there in all seasons. They had also said that a guide would be available all the time to make visitors aware about the various species of butterflies. As many as three lakh people visit the park every year.People purchase the Rs 10 tickets and enter the park expecting to see a riot of colours in the air, but invariably leave dejected. Recalling her experience, Bhavna Patel, a teacher, says, “I had taken my children to Kankaria.We were delighted when we came across a board of Butterfly Park. We had imagined a variety of butterflies flying around in the green space. We were shocked when we could not see asingle butterfly inside.”Haresh Desai, a student, said, “They should remove the board that identifies the place as Butterfly Park. It is a complete waste of money. When we went in, we could spot just two butterflies fluttering around. We see more butterflies when we go to a garden.”Leader of Opposition in AMC Dinesh Sharma said, “The AMC wastes lakhs of rupees due to lack of planning. Office-bearers and officials are eager to execute many projects, but fail to take steps to make them succeed.”

Stay updated with all the Ahmedabad Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.