Chakraview party zone is a butterfly heaven
RUPESH SAMANT (PTI), PANAJI | 04 February 2010 23:15 IST
The spot where the Chakraview party (now cancelled) was to be held is not a simple beach. It’s called Butterfly beach because of the existence of a rare and precious butterfly, called ‘Southern Bird Wing’. It is one of the few places, where the Western Ghat meets the Arabian Sea.
The district administration today revoked No objection Certificate granted to an event management company, which had planned a three-day long music party at Agonda beach in South Goa. The beach stretch, where the extravaganza was planned, is known as Butterfly beach.
While state government refused to let the party happen fearing possible flow of drugs in it, the environmentalists vouch for the rich bio-diversity of this place.
"Agonda is a house for India's largest butterfly `Southern Bird Wing', which is found in sizeable number here," Parag Rangnekar, an authority in Butterflies in Goa, told PTI.
The writer of a book `Butterflies of Goa,' said that this species is having a wing span of 14 to 17 centimetres.
A local from Agonda village contend that the beach stretch, which is a pocket beach in the rocky stretch that connects Agonda and Palolem, is named as Butterfly beach because of this precious species prevalent there.
The state government statistics reveals that Canacona taluka, which houses this beach, has 57 per cent forest area. "This is a part where Western Ghat meets the Arabian sea. It's a beach with thick vegetation and home for various wild species," said Dr F M Nadaf, a geography lecturer at Mallikarjun College in Canacona.
He said this is a stretch where evergreen and semi-green forest meets, providing a habitat for winged species including butterflies.
Holding of a music party, which would go for three days continuously, would have affected the tranquil atmosphere here, he feels.
Mr Rangnekar said that although the butterflies are insensible towards sound, they get disturbed with the human activity and also vibrations, which might have emerged from the music. It can affect overall sensitivity of the place," he opines.
Chakraview Festival, a music party, planned by Delhi based Inspiral group, had claimed itself to be an event to educate the participants about beach cleanliness and eco-sensitivity.
The festival organisers on Wednesday had said that the event is purely an eco-friendly event, which aims to create awareness amongst people on the cleanliness of beaches.
The music party was expected to have have performers from Israel, Russia, Belgium, Italy, south Africa, Hungary and other countries.
Thanks for saving this beach.I have seen this butterfly in Goa at Loliem[Taluka Canacona.].It should be made the state butterfly of Goa.The first time I saw it was at Dandeli with my BNHS Entomology course participants and I wrote this poem..
SOUTHERN BIRDWING
You made Our day
At Dandeli
By appearing
like a black & yellow
ribbon flying slowly
across...while
we were discussing
insect trade
You made a point
You can never be
So graceful in captivity!
Can we capture rainbow?
- Usha Desai