Rituparna Som

 

If these guys have their way, Holi needn’t need a recovery day to wash off a bucketful of toxic colours. Oh, and your skin wouldn’t be walking off a few years down the line. Kalpavriksh, an organisation from Pune and Toxics Link, Mumbai is out to ensure a safe and natural Holi. “We started campaigns of ‘safe festivals’ about four years ago. All festivals started as a celebration of nature and our campaign is to remind people to return to it,” explains Manisha Gutman, campaign co-ordinator. “We’re developing natural colours with the help of the Malnad Seed Exchange and Home Garden Collective, based in Karnataka.” They have women farmers who harvest tumeric, mehendi, flowers etc to produce natural colours,” says Manisha.

 

The natural colours found their way to Mumbai only last year. “We’re working with the Asha school - a school for mentally and physically challenged army children - where we recycle flowers from temples and hotels to produce the colours. The first batch is out this year.”

 

The natural colours unfortunately have a short shelf life and are marginally more expensive than the toxic lead oxide (can cause renal failure) and mercury sulphite (can cause skin cancer) ridden roadside ones. They’re available for Rs 35 for 200 gms, Rs 55 for three colours of 300 gms and Rs 140 - 150 for one kg. “Expense wise, just like you can’t compare food and pesticide, you can’t compare natural colours and the usual Holi lot available at your corner baniya,” Manisha says emphatically.