SunstarTV Bureau: Khadi India under Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Government of India, is soon launching Vedic Paint made out of cow dung.
Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Government of India, took to Twitter to inform about the upcoming product.
ग्रामीण इकोनॉमी को बल मिले और किसानों को अतिरिक्त आमदनी हो इसलिए Khadi and Village Industries Commission के माध्यम से हम जल्द ही गाय के गोबर से बना ‘वैदिक पेन्ट’ लॅान्च करने वाले हैं। @ChairmanKvic pic.twitter.com/zhQpa3Es5i
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) December 17, 2020
He said, “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 Village economy and provide additional income to the farmers.”
Gadkari further added that 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 the livestock farmers.
History behind Cow dung paint development
The experts at Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute have been developing such paint for years. 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.
VIT’s research on cow dung paint
In 2016, five students of Vellore Institute of Technology under supervision of Mrs. Ghamande Manasi, Assistant Professor in Chemistry, published a paper [PDF] on Manufacturing of Cow Dung Paint. The paper pointed out that cow dung plasters are commonly found in many Indian homes in rural areas. It is hailed for its anti-bacterial properties and is believed to be one of the best natural disinfectants. It is not uncommon in any typical Indian Village home to find the entire floor covered with cow dung paste. Cow dung is often mixed with lime to coat the walls of the kuchcha houses.
Benefits of using cow dung in paints
It can improve air quality. It is antiseptic in the nation. Cow dung reduces the need for air conditioning as it acts as an insulator and keeps heat out in summers while holding it inside in winters. Dried cow dung is odourless. The paper further suggested that the paint manufactured using cow dung can be used in pipelines to save water from getting evaporated.
