This is an archive article published on December 24, 2022
Cow dung touch: Chhattisgarh school, hostel get fresh coat of paint
“At present, the paint is being prepared in Kanker and Chhattisgarh capital Raipur; efforts are on to prepare it in other districts. The paint is being sold at Rs 125 per litre,” said a government official.
Cow dung touch: Chhattisgarh school, hostel get fresh coat of paint
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In a first, a government school and a hostel for tribal students in Kodagaon in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh have been painted with natural paint made from cow dung. The initiative has been undertaken by the state’s Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as part of the ‘Godhan Nyaya Yojana’.
Kanker collector Priyanka Shukla said S.U.M. school in Kodagaon and a hostel for tribal students in Kottara have got a fresh coat of cow dung paint. “This paint has been prepared by women self-help groups (SHG) in a gouthan (livestock shelter) at Saradhunawagaon in Kanker. The cow dung paint unit has been built under Mahatma Gandhi Rural Industrial Park (RIPA), an ambitious scheme of the Chhattisgarh government in Charama block of the district,” she said.
About 20 women are employed in the unit and its production capacity is a minimum of 500 litres of paint per day. Depending on the production of the paint, all government buildings in the state will be painted in future with the “gobar paint”, the collector added.
One member of a women self-help group, Jageshwari Bhaskar (45), told The Indian Express that preparing the paint will increased her salary from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per month.
Bhaskar, a resident of Kherkheda village who travels 15 km to the unit in Saradhunawagaon every day, said, “We hope to earn more money from this initiative. I used to earn Rs 3,000 a month but I am hoping to earn Rs 5,000 by preparing and selling this paint. The villagers are also getting money by selling cow dung to us.”
“At present, the paint is being prepared in Kanker and Chhattisgarh capital Raipur; efforts are on to prepare it in other districts. The paint is being sold at Rs 125 per litre,” said a government official.
The demand for the paint is likely to increase as earlier this week all government departments were ordered by the Chief Minister to compulsorily use cow dung paint for all government buildings.
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Baghel also warned of strict action against officials if they would violate the order. The move is aimed at strengthening rural economy and ensure environmental protection, said an official.
Under the Godhan Nyaya Yojana, vermicompost, supercompost and other products are being manufactured in gauthans using cow dung procured at two rupees per kg.
The CM’s initiative was appreciated by BJP leader and Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who tweeted, “His (Baghel’s) decision is commendable and welcome. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi I started this as the MSME minister. The use of natural paint will not only protect the environment but also provide a new opportunity to the farmers and benefit them.”
Replying to the tweet, Baghel thanked the minister for acknowledging his initiative and called him a “karmayogi”. He tweeted, “Respect for cow and labour is a path shown by Gandhi and we are moving forward on that.”
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
