Bengal Govt encouraging use of lead-free paints for painting idols

Kolkata, Sep 16: The West Bengal Government has started encouraging the use of lead-free paints for painting idols. The move has been made to save the aquatic animals in the river Hooghly and other water bodies, which get negatively affected when idols are immersed and the paints get mixed up with water. This initiative has been taken up across Bengal. The active push by the government during this time is meant to coincide with the time when the idols to be used for Durga Puja are painted. The State Environment Department has started distributing lead-free paints among the artisans of Kumartuli in Kolkata. All the artisans of Kumartuli will be ultimately given the new colours. According to the Environment Minister, who distributed the first batch of these environment-friendly paints, the lead-free colours are as bright as any other colour and so the Durga idols that will be painted with these will be as bright. To convince artisans about this fact, the department has also carried out sustained campaigns. The Minister said several steps have already been taken to make Ganga pollution-free to save the aquatic animals and that similar steps will be taken to ensure that waterbodies in the districts are saved. UNI