According to a government official, a total of 200,000 liters of natural paint has been produced from cow dung, and an amount of ₹25 million has been disbursed to 2,000 women who are part of self-help groups involved in this initiative.
The Godhan Nyaya Yojana, initiated by the Chhattisgarh government in 2019, aimed at conserving livestock. Later, the government transformed cowsheds into rural industrial parks across the state, as mentioned by the official.
Pradeep Sharma, advisor to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, stated that the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Industrial Park Scheme has facilitated various activities in the cowsheds. Among these income-generating activities, the production of natural paint from cow dung has emerged as a remarkable innovation.
On World Environment Day, the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) gained recognition in the Limca Book of World Records for creating the “Largest Painting Made with Cow Dung Paint.” They achieved this by creating a 3,600 square feet canvas painting using cow dung paint, as reported by the first official mentioned.
The cow dung paint unit has provided new avenues of self-employment for women, enabling them to achieve economic stability for themselves and their families. Previously, these women were involved in producing vermicompost from cow dung in the cowsheds. However, they have now successfully transitioned into entrepreneurs by manufacturing paint from cow dung. The women in a manufacturing unit currently produce approximately 200 liters of natural paint per day.
The state has proposed the construction of 95 natural paint manufacturing units.
Explaining the process, an official stated that after procuring cow dung from the cowsheds, it undergoes refinement in the mixing tank and further processing to become a product known as distemper and emulsion. The paint is sold in can packaging of 1, 4, 10, and 20 liters, with a price of ₹150 per liter.
