Douse in colours of Holi

The festival of colours is finally here and it’s all about fun and frolic. Holi, as we call it, is celebrated by people of all age groups. Every nook and corner of every little street would be literally painted red (or rather pink) today. Holi is all about smearing others with colours and drenching them in coloured water. While kids would be seen carrying water guns balloons à la Army personnel and indulge in water war, youngsters are gung ho about the festival.

“Holi isn’t a one day celebration. My life is filled with colours of fun, entertainment et al. Life in the film industry has added so many colours in my life that I don’t feel that I am missing the fun on Holi because of shoot,” says actress Adah Sharma. G Sumedha, a corporate employee, says, “I gang up with my college friends and visit other friends to play Holi. This has been our regimen from a few years and would surely be in future too.”

While people visit friends’ places, there are others who go to resorts and enjoy the tempo there with DJs mixing tracks on their consoles and the chefs offering some of the best delicacies. K Gopal, a law student is one among them. “Like always, I will go to a Holi party at some resort with my friends. The atmosphere there is euphoric and celebrations are amplified with music,” Gopal says.

Holi celebrations are all about excitement and fun but people often do not realise that their merry making is a cause of damage to pets and stray animals. Thanks to the hazardous chemicals in the colours. Here’s how Holi can impact the health of one’s pet: Chemicals found in Holi colours generally include lead oxide, aluminum bromide, mercury sulphate and copper sulphate which may cause skin irritation or allergy in pets.

Nausea or respiratory troubles is another ill effect of these colours, which stays for days even after the festival has gone. Colours – wet or dry may contain traces of lead, which acts as a slow poison. Water balloons and colours may cause temporary or permanent eye damage. Coloured water can be harmful if consumed. To avoid all this irritation and respiratory problems, it is always advised to use organic colours as the chemical colours available in the market are laced and can cause temporary or permanent damage.

“Organic colours not just protect humans but also save the animals from any possible harm. Organic colours do not harm skin and are a safer bet anytime,” says Adah Sharma. “Though organic colours are available everywhere, people end up opting otherwise, as most of the time they don’t think about it as it’s all about fun for them,” says environmentalist Abhinav referring the drastic drop in sales of organic colours compared to last year.

Vexed with people using chemical colours and giving no thoughts to use of organic colours, VBIT College of Engineering student Sahithi Reddy says, “It is high time people understand problems caused by chemical colours. It is necessary to create awareness about this. We are already causing lot of damage to the environment with Diwali crackers and Ganesh immersion. So opting for organic colours is a safe option.”