Forest dept resumes herbal colour production ahead of Holi

Siliguri: After a gap of one year, the State Forest Department has resumed the production of eco-friendly herbal colours ahead of the Holi festival, witnessing encouraging demand across Siliguri and other parts of North Bengal. This year, the Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) Division of the West Bengal Forest department has produced nearly 4.5 quintals of herbal colours, which are already witnessing brisk sales in the market. Speaking on the initiative, Manjula Tirkey, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the NTFP Division, said that production could not be undertaken last year due to some issues. “Due to some difficulties, we were unable to produce herbal colours last year. However, the demand for these eco-friendly colours has remained high. Keeping this in mind, production has resumed this year. Though the quantity is less compared to 2024, we are hopeful that the entire stock will be sold out as people have already started purchasing,” she said. Holi, widely celebrated as the festival of colours, often sees the use of synthetic colours that may contain harmful chemicals, causing skin allergies and environmental damage. Growing awareness about health and environmental safety has significantly increased the demand for natural alternatives in recent years.

For more than a decade, the NTFP Division has been producing herbal colours at the Taipu Tea Estate area near Bagdogra under the Siliguri subdivision. The colours are prepared using natural ingredients sourced from flowers and leaves. The department produces three varieties of colours — yellow made from yellow marigold flowers, orange from orange marigold flowers, and green derived from wood apple tree leaves. The colours are skin-friendly and environmentally safe. The herbal colours are currently being sold through seven branch offices of the Forest Department across North Bengal. They are available in 500-gram packets priced at Rs 90 and 250-gram packets priced at Rs 50.