Coloring a Bright Future: Women of Pragati Self-help group empowered through cow dung paint production
Koriya. Under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Industrial Park Scheme, various activities are conducted in the Gauthan of village Majhganwan in the Baikunthpur development block of the Koriya district. One such activity involves the production of natural paint using cow dung. The women associated with the Pragati Self-Help Group are actively engaged in this paint production process. This initiative has brought a wave of prosperity into the lives of these women.
Since February, a unit dedicated to the manufacturing of natural paint from cow dung is operational, and they have successfully produced 2,800 liters of natural paint. Nearly 2,500 liters of this paint have been sold, generating an income of around Rs 5.30lakh. In line with the directives of the Chhattisgarh government, this paint is being utilized for coloring purposes in all government offices and schools.
Smt. Suman Rajwade, the chairperson of the group, stated that the cow dung paint unit has opened up new avenues of self-employment for the women in the group, empowering them to achieve economic stability for themselves and their families. Earlier, the women were engaged in producing vermicompost from cow dung in the Gauthans. However, they have now successfully transitioned into entrepreneurs by manufacturing paint from cow dung under the RIPA. The manufactured paint is sold under the brand name “Prakritik Paint” by Gauthans and C-Marts
Process of manufacturing natural paint
The selected women from the group have received training in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on the production of natural paint from cow dung. They were provided with detailed information about the manufacturing process. The process begins by thoroughly blending the cow dung and water mixture in a machine, followed by filteration to eliminate any impurities. Afterward, the mixture undergoes bleaching using specific chemicals and goes through a steaming process. As a result, a substance called CMX is obtained, which is further processed into a product known as distemper and emulsion. The paint unit located at RIPA in Majhgawan Gauthan has the flexibility to produce different quantities of paint according to demand. On average, it has a daily production capacity of about 500 liters.
