LAHORE: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) reopened the butterfly house at Jallo Park’s botanical garden to tourists on Monday, and began numerous operations linked to introducing beautiful butterflies of various types, breeding, and growth.

The house was reopened after it was renovated by the government. Due to Covid-19 lockdowns, the site was shuttered in 2020.

The butterfly house was the first project ever completed in Pakistan in 2016 to have a diverse collection of the most beautiful butterflies.

An official source in the PHA told Dawn a group of schoolchildren from Gujranwala visited the house on Monday and enjoyed seeing butterflies of various species.

In 2016, the PHA gathered a diverse range of butterfly species, some of which were imported from other countries. Before releasing the butterflies inside the house, the PHA worked with the departments to carry out a huge tree-planting project in order to provide an enabling natural environment for their growth.

The house also has a briefing point where the visitors are educated about the species, their breeding, growth, etc. Temperature control is a problem in harsh weather (winter and summer) due to the height of the house’s ceiling/roof. The PHA, however, installed chillers and other equipment meant to control temperature. The gadgets, however, broke down, and later on, the government closed the facility in the wake of Covid-related lockdowns.

Officials say PHA Director General Zeeshan Javed made the house operational by maintaining the roof, dome and chillers.

Meanwhile, the Lahore division administration and the PHA say they have planted thousands of saplings during a special drive in the wake of the city’s Shining and Green Campaign.

“In the next four weeks, abandoned parks in all areas of Lahore will be fully restored with tree plantation. Moreover, the PHA director general has been asked to give a performance analysis,” said Lahore Commissioner Amir Jan in a meeting. He advised the PHA to beautify the six-and-a-half kilometre long area of The Mall and its surroundings, including Empress Road.

TRANSFORMER: The National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) has augmented 160 MVA (220/132 kV) with a 250-MVA transformer at a 500 kV grid station, New Multan.

The transformer, according to a spokesperson, was energised a couple of days before.

The NTDC says a comprehensive plan for phase-wise removal of system constraints was made to overcome the overloading of the system, especially during summers.

“The augmentation of the transformer will improve the loading capacity of the grid station and provide relief to Multan Electric Power Company consumers. This is the second transformer that has been augmented at the same grid station,” the spokesperson said.

He said the induction of new transformers would benefit the industrial, rural and urban consumers of the company.

NOTICES: The city administration on Monday issued notices to 797 people for flouting dengue regulations.

According to a spokesman, the field teams also got FIRs lodged against 73 people for causing dengue larvae breeding and growth. They sealed four premises for violation of dengue regulations and SOPs.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2022