Give a green touch to riot of colour

H for Hyderabad; H for Holi too. The festival of colours dawns on the city a day before the actual day- Wednesday. The regular riot of colours and fun and frolic of Holi would have different shades of liability this time, as two prominent activities are making the difference. Hyderabad volunteers of Youth For Seva (YFS) organisation, steered an initiative to campaign for the use of eco-friendly colours during Holi. Besides engaging themselves in propagating the idea, the volunteers ventured to procure, pack and distribute the authentic skin-friendly natural colours with prior testing. "Wet colours were made from Palaash flowers, and dry colours made by colouring rice/ corn starch using orange seeds, indigo and haldi were distributed in stalls put up across more than 20 locations," Shobhit Madhur, YFS Hyderabad Coordinator told The Hans India. With a similar initiative, Hyderabad Goes Green (HGG) started Green and Clean Holi campaign in association with Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU). "Skin related diseases are due to corroded metals or dyes mixed with oil are regularly used in synthetic colours. Their allergic reactions led to loss of eyes too. So, HGG is promoting the use of natural colours made from plant and flower extracts and motivate people to celebrate a chemical-free Holi," G Abhinav, the Director and CEO of HGG said. In the process of it associated with some other like-minded NGOs, including Society for Awareness and Vision on Environment (SAVE) to distribute the manufactured organic colours for Holi at specific outlets in the city. The second prominent activity to mark the spirit of Holi is the new resolutions of the students of various schools against the 'green murder.' "Since it has been a regular practice during Holi to chop trees for Holi bonfire, our students of IX standard took a procession today in the vicinity to appeal the people not to prune or cut down trees for lighting Holi bonfires," Pallavi Reddy, Vice Principal of Bhashyam High School, Dilshuknagar told The Hans India. "When the precious local species banyan and neem trees were cut in our locality a couple of months ago by the callous officials of GHMC, I was hurt and determined to remind the people about the emotional bonds we develop with trees," Lalit Purna Sai, a student lamented. He along with some of his classmates, who recently took Intermediate exams and now preparing for entrance tests, got pamphlets published the possible 'green slaying' for the sacred Holika fire. "Under the name of rituals, nothing should usher the people to harm the environment. There is no religious sanction for this," Hiranya Bhat, a green activist said.