The Hindu : Front Page : ‘Green’ Ganesha for Khairatabad

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Sunday, Aug 05, 2007
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‘Green’ Ganesha for Khairatabad

Staff Reporter

Committee to use only eco-friendly colours on the giant idol this year

Eco-friendly initiative: Hyderabad Collector R.V. Chandravadan dabs a bit of natural colour on a Ganesha idol in Hyderabad on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: The Khairatabad Ganesha this year is all set to blaze a new trail going in for an eco-friendly makeover.

The district administration that has been campaigning for a shift to eco-friendly natural dyes in idol-making hopes that more idol-makers and festival organisers would follow suit. “We have yielded to the Government’s request for use of eco-friendly colours,” says S.Sudarshan, chief organiser of Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee.

Whether clad in natural Indigo, dark green, maroon or chocolate, the 40-foot giant idol however cannot do without that matt finish in its fashion statement.

The Chirla-based Shyamal Handlooms involved in Kalamkari work for a decade was approached by N.G. Ranga Agricultural University for developing eco-friendly colours.

It took them four months of research to come out with required hues. They would supply as many as nine colours for the idol.

“Sixty litres of colours will be needed to paint the whole statue. We have already sent samples of a litre each,” said U.Venkateshwar Rao from Shyamal Handlooms that is ready to supply eco-friendly colours to other manufacturers and artisans.

Hyderabad District Collector R.V. Chandravadan commended the big step taken by the Utsav Committee on Saturday while speaking at an awareness workshop attended by artisans, resident welfare associations, committee members and officials of Pollution Control Board and National Green Corps.

Stating that efforts were on to supply eco-friendly idols with stickers for easy identification through various resident welfare associations, the Collector said that special counters for the purpose would be opened at Necklace Road and Nizam College grounds.

W.G. Prasanna Kumar, State Director of NGC, congratulated Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Samithi for their initiative and said the quantity of vegetable dyes required should be properly estimated.

Professor Sharada Devi from the Home Science College of Agricultural Univeristy, a key person in developing the vegetable dyes, envisioned employment to many tribal women in gathering the sources for the dyes. She felt that self help groups and Krishi Vignan Kendras could be utilised effectively towards this end.

Demonstration

Children from various schools were given a demonstration of using eco-friendly colours at an exhibition by Shyamal Handlooms on the premises of Public Gardens.

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