Ever thought of cow dung being used as paint to colour the walls of your house? Well, the thought isn’t far-fetched.
In an attempt to boost rural economy, Khadi India under Khadi & Village Industries Commission, is all geared up to launch Vedic paint made out of cow dung.
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Nitin Gadkari, Union minister of micro, small & medium enterprises, made the announcement on twitter saying: “We are soon going to launch a ‘Vedic Paint’ made of cow dung through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission. It will help in strengthening the Village economy and provide additional income to the farmers.”
According to a report by ANI, he also said the eco-friendly, non-toxic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and washable paint would be available in distemper and emulsion. It will dry in just four hours. This venture will provide an additional income of up to Rs 55,000 to livestock farmers.
It is believed that with cow dung coated on walls, dangerous creatures like scorpions, centipedes and lizards won’t infest houses.
Not the first
Notably, in August 2019, Giriraj Singh, minister of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries, had informed in a Facebook post that the institute had developed cow dung paint and manufactured it across India. Singh further added that cow dung would be bought at Rs 5 per kg from the livestock farmers for the venture.
Karnataka
In 2019, Panchagavya Sidda doctor Dr Shashishekhar Bhat, a resident of Devakana near Bendra Theertha of Irde village, started a unique project called “Go Rang”. He had successfully painted the walls of his house with cow dung from indigenous cows.
He said: “In olden days people used to use cow dung for walls and floor of the houses. However, as the modernisation of the universe started, paints made of harmful chemicals entered the market. There is a chance that the chemical paint may have an adverse effect on the health of the inmates of the house. So the main aim of cow dung paint is to improve the power of resistance against the diseases of the people living under the roof of such houses.”
According to Bhat, this cow dung paint also has the ability to prevent heat during summer days and has no side effects on human beings.
The development comes at a time when issues related to religious significance of cows, cow dung and anti-cow slaughter bills have sparked widespread controversies, giving birth to varying opinions.
However, amid the ever growing stir, cow dung is widely used in rural areas in India due to a number of benefits. Some use it to coat the floors and walls of their houses to make them germ-free while others use it as an insect repellent. It is also considered rich in minerals, due to which soaps, candles and oil lamps made of cow dung have successfully infiltrated the Indian market.
