Eco-friendly painting workshop held for tribal children

Conservation NGO “Arulagam” conducted an “eco-friendly” painting workshop for tribal children at the Kargudi Tribal Residential School in the Nilgiris. S. Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, said th

Conservation NGO “Arulagam” conducted an “eco-friendly” painting workshop for tribal children at the Kargudi Tribal Residential School in the Nilgiris.

S. Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, said that the workshop was conducted to raise awareness about the impact of lead poisoning among students. “Every year, the last week of October is observed as International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. As part of the week-long programme, ‘Arulagam’ conducted various activities, including discussions with painters’ association about the ill-effects of lead poisoning,” he said in a press release. The organisation also highlighted the need to control usage of lead in paints by appealing to policy-makers to check and monitor the lead content level in paints within permissible limits. “According to the World Health Organisation, children are one of the most vulnerable groups and every year, more than five million kids are getting affected by lead poisoning,” it said.

The workshop was conducted using eco-friendly dyeing materials such as leaves, lemon, charcoal, lime, turmeric powder, indigo dye, rock powder and soil as alternatives to traditional lead-based paints. The painting brush was also made from natural plant materials such as cactus, coco peat and cotton. More than hundred students and teachers participated in the event. They were also trained to make wildlife-themed masks and allowed to paint with the natural colours. Dr. Ezhumalai Venkatesh from Pondicherry conducted the programme.