Karnataka Process Underway To Name New State Insect and Amphibian
Apis cerana and Malabar tree toad are likely to get official state status
Bengaluru: Karnataka minister Eshwar Khandre said on Friday that the process to officially designate ‘Apis cerana’ as the state insect and the ‘Malabar tree toad’ as the state amphibian was underway.
Speaking at an event organised to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity, he said many countries declare national symbols such as birds, animals, and trees to emphasise the importance of biodiversity conservation.
The Karnataka government has similarly declared sandalwood as the state tree, the elephant as the state animal, and the Indian roller (nilkantha) as the state bird. In addition, the southern birdwing (Troides minos), a large butterfly with yellow and black wings, has been declared the state butterfly, he said.
The minister said the state government was fighting court cases to reclaim forest land valued at over Rs 50,000 crore that is under the possession of HMT Limited, the Indian Air Force, and private rubber plantation companies, in an effort to protect green cover and promote forest conservation.
Protecting biodiversity is crucial for maintaining environmental balance, he said. Recognising this, the state government has declared the 5,678-acre area around Bengaluru's Hesaraghatta lake as the Greater Hesaraghatta Protected Grassland.
Additionally, 153 acres at Madappanahalli near Yelahanka in north Bengaluru have been allocated for the development of the Vishwa Guru Basavanna Biodiversity Park. The state government has allocated Rs 50 crore for the first phase of the project, which has a total estimated cost of Rs 250 crore, he added.
