Dnyanprassarak Mandal's College, Assagao turns to flowers, herbs to make Holi non-toxic

PANAJI: Ahead of Holi, students of Dnyanprassarak Mandal's College, Assagao, have prepared thousands of kilograms of organic and non-toxic colours from flowers and herbs. The project has been taken up not only as a green initiative, but also as an entrepreneurship venture for students, who will earn from its sale.
The college has collaborated with the Goa State Pollution Control Board and the Goa State Biodiversity Board for the project. The students have also trained women’s self-help groups (SHG) in preparing the colours. This will enable the women to earn an additional income during Holi.
“Last year, the project was taken up on a pilot basis, and students prepared only a few kilograms of the organic colour. This year, the project has been scaled up. As a college, we are committed to fulfilling our social obligations. We have offered an environmental science programme, besides installing rainwater harvesting, solar panels, etc, on our campus. We wanted to take our green focus beyond the campus,” said college principal D B Arolkar.
He said that, during Holi, markets are flooded with highly toxic colours that contain dangerous metals like mercury, copper, and cadmium. The metals are used to enhance the brightness of the colours. Other adulterants, like chalk, also prove harsh on the skin.
“These chemicals can cause skin allergies and irritation, and later, the chemicals also end up polluting water and soil. We wanted to show that an alternative is available,” said Arolkar. While the pollution board certified the colours, the biodiversity board helped with the packaging.
The institute has prepared the eco-friendly colours using natural materials, like marigold, turmeric, rose petals, beetroot, bixa seeds, tulsi leaves, spinach leaves, and neem leaves, said professor Rajesh Pednekar. Faculty member Prabhat Desai assisted the students in preparing the colours. “Students are also part of the sales, marketing, and branding processes,” said Pednekar.