A social initiative that began in Pune will have a Mumbai connection this Holi. This year,under the Environment Service Scheme (ESS),a project launched by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE),students of four schools in Mumbai will be made aware of ecofriendly colours and the harmful effects of chemicals used in Holi colors. The children will also put up colour stalls at the Mantralaya in Mumbai on March 5 and March 6; the collection of which will go to the schools. For this initiative supported by the Department of Environment and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board,the CEE has sourced 100 kg ecofriendly colour Rang Dulaar from Pune-based eCoexit. We launched ESS in 2011. Since the project is at a nascent stage; it has yet to gain momentum. This year,the children will only be selling colours at the stall. Next year,we plan to conduct workshops to teach them how to make their own ecofriendly colours using natural ingredients, said Dhaval Joshi,state co-ordinator for ESS. The ecofriendly colours by eCoexit,a city-based social enterprise founded eight years ago are made by farmers' group Vanastree in Karnataka. Until last year,the packaging of the colors was done by women inmates of the Yerawada Jail but this year,eCoexit has reached out further. The firm has involved three women Self Help Groups Green Tara Foundation (Vishrantwadi),Pragati Udyogic Sahakari Sanstha and a self help group coordinated by the Pragati Foundation,Aundh for packaging the colours. eCoexist will also hold five events starting March 5 for the underprivileged,special and mentally-challenged children. The children who will participate will be from Bal Kalyan Sanstha,The Blind Boys School,The Blind Girls School,Vidya Jyoti,Doorstep school and Nav Kshitij School for the mentally-challenged. Various city-based corporate houses have not only agreed to sponsor these events but also play Holi with these children, said Manisha Gutman,founder,eCoexist. The schools that will participate in the Mantralay event are the National Urdu High School and Junior College,Capt. Ravindra Madhav Oak High School,Shashank Madhyamik Vidyalaya and Shishu Vikas Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Kalyan,Thane. Joshi stated that the ESS objective is to make students understand the local environment,ecosystems and problems associated with environmental quality through participation and action. "These objectives will be achieved using constructive learning approaches with emphasis on field studies,hands-on experience and activities related to environmental conservation and awareness," he added. The scheme has been implemented in 50 schools in 12 districts of Maharashtra. Play Safe Rang Dulaar colours were born as part of the Safe Festivals campaign initiated under the Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group in 2004. The colours contain only natural ingredients and are lab tested to ensure absence of any toxic heavy metals. eCoexist,took on fullscale marketing of the colours in 2006 to ensure these safe colours become a genuine natural alternative to the toxic chemical colours sold in the market. The brand Rang Dulaar aims at creating a steady supply of authentic natural colours to urban markets across India. In the past eight years,Rang Dulaar has reached over 10 cities in the country.
