Sunday, 24 March 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists (SPECS) has stressed that natural colours should be used to celebrate a chemical-free Holi. The society has been undertaking an awareness campaign advocating for the use of natural colours over chemical ones, promoting health and environmental sustainability.
Furthermore, SPECS encouraged celebrating Holi at home by making natural colours using simple methods. Henna powder with Amla or crushed green leaves of Gulmohor can be used to make green colour. Yellow colour can be made by using crushed mint, spinach and coriander leaves with water or by using turmeric mixed with gram flour. Similarly, red colour can be made by using sandalwood powder, beetroot, tomatoes or pomegranate peels to extract red dye. Further, indigo plant fruit can be mixed with water to get a blue colour while soaking chopped beetroot overnight in water can give magenta colour, SPECS scientists said.
As part of this year’s campaign, SPECS conducted workshops in various schools, sharing the science behind creating natural colours. The objective of these workshops was not only to educate students, teachers and parents about the hazards of chemical colours but also to provide practical tips for a safe and enjoyable Holi celebration. The scientists suggested applying coconut oil or cream on the body in the morning to protect against chemical colours. This acts as a barrier, preventing colours from penetrating the skin and facilitating easier removal later. Oil should be applied to hair to prevent dye from colouring the hair and scalp. One should avoid direct sunlight and synthetic colours, use sunglasses and sunscreen for protection. They also appealed that revellers should use only natural and herbal colours to celebrate Holi. Further, one should refrain from washing the face repeatedly with water during the festivities to avoid skin damage. One should use lukewarm water to remove colours from the body and apply moisturizer afterward to prevent skin dryness.
If colours don’t come off easily, one should use a mixture of yogurt and gram flour to gently scrub them off. The scientists further said that if one is under the influence of intoxicants like bhang or alcohol, one should refrain from driving. If intoxicated, one should avoid consuming sweets or tea for about six hours to mitigate the effects, they added.
