Mylac's natural paints may fade away

Ban on coloured Gowri, Ganesha idols by MCC puts Mylac in a fix

With the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) cracking down on eco-unfriendly Gowri-Ganesha idols, the Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited (Mylac) is in a quandary.

The sudden initiative of the local body has been the cause of impediment for nature-friendly paints (lead free) invented by Mylac.

Sources told Deccan Herald, when the demand for eco-friendly idols got bigger, Mylac decided to come out with paints that would cause no harm. The paint was manufactured using raw materials without lead like binders, pigment and solvent.

In the very first year of launching the paints in 2011, it had sold 500 litres covering Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts. To spread the message on such paints, Mylac had also conducted awareness camps among idol makers in Kumbargeri and Yaraganahalli.

Economical too

When compared to other paints with lead content, the nature-friendly paints were sold at the rate of Rs 180 per litre. It was also less when compared to the price per litre of other paints and Mysore emerged the largest buyer last year among other two districts.

This year, the sales has come down to 300 litres with the city corporation, the enforcing agency seizing the idols even those decorated using natural colours. The corporation is against using any kind of painted idols — be it natural or others, emphasising only on raw clay idols (without paint).

Strangely, as is the routine, Mylac, in association with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), MCC and also the idol makers had held a meeting ahead of the festival. It was only through the media, did the Mylac came to know about the development.

An officer involved in the project was pained to say that the ‘concept has lost its significance.’ Quoting idol makers, the officer said the corporation is not ready to test the idols for its colours; whether natural or chemical. But, wants to enforce the ban.
The only saving grace is the parts of Mysore district other than the city, and Chamarajanagar and Mandya where there is no such rule in existence.