Residents say no to Chinese colours for Holi

LUDHIANA: Ahead of Holi, poor quality Chinese colours are conspicuous by their absence in city markets. Concurrently, there is rise in demand for local colours. Health experts also advise the use of good quality colours to prevent adverse effects on the skin.
Narinder Kumar, a wholesaler of Holi colours at Field Ganj said that they have not received Chinese colours and they had only sold Indian colours on the festival.
He added that the colours being sold were mostly herbal and organic.
“As of now, we are selling 100 to 200 kilograms colours ahead of the festival. The sale goes up to more than 250 kilograms a day as the festival draws near,” said the wholesaler. He added that they also had various articles used by children on Holi, like water spray guns.
Two kinds of colours are available in city markets. One is an organic herbal colour with fragrance (branded colours) sold for Rs 20 per 80 grams.
The other local colour sold at half the price for the same quantity.
Local shopkeeper Naresh Kumar said that sale of colours was going slow. He also said that he had stocked multiple herbal colours with fragrance and local colours which were cheaper. The sales agent at the shop said that they had stopped selling Chinese colours as these caused skin problems.
Holi colour sellers said that they were selling herbal colours as these were in demand.
“We are aware of the fact that Chinese colours can cause skin problems so we have not sold those and are selling just organic herbal colours. We are selling good quality gulal colours for Rs 200 to Rs 250.
The price depends on the brands. There are local colours which have sand mixed with colours and cost Rs 50 to Rs 60 for a five kilogram bag but those cause burning sensingation and itching,” said Gurmeet Singh, a retailer in Model House area. He added that prices of colours did not matter for customers and they expected more buyers near the festival. They also said that they got 20 to 25 customers for herbal colours each day.
Many residents said that they preferred organic herbal colours, which were safe.
“It is better to spend more to buy herbal colours than to suffer from toxic effects of poor quality colours and pay for treatment. Also, one faces problems if cheap colour goes inside the mouth and causes internal damage,” said Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Pakhowal Road.