MANGALURU: An eco-friendly paint made of cowdung at a cottage industry in Haleangadi village near Mangaluru is becoming popular in the coastal region, which reels under extreme heat during summer and heavy rain during monsoon. Branded as “Sannidhi Prakritik”, the paint has antifungal and antibacterial properties and is odourless and cost-effective.
The scorching summer has helped this cottage industry get bulk orders not only from across Karnataka, but also from neighbouring states. Akshata A, owner of the unit, says the natural paint works as a thermal insulator and prevents radiation, thereby keeping the house cool during summer.
Akshata started the unit in 2022 after attending an entrepreneurship training session at Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI) in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
On the manufacturing process, she said cowdung is refined using a tri-disc refiner or double-disc refiner. Then, cowdung is added to water and mixed properly. The liquid mixture then undergoes bleaching, to turn it white. Sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide are used for bleaching. After bleaching, the mixture transforms into CMC or carboxymethylcellulose (a mandatory step in manufacturing paints).
After this, calcium carbonate or lime is added to the mixture. Then, binder is added to bind all elements after which, the eco-friendly paint is ready for use.
Akshata has invested Rs 25 lakh on the unit and sources cowdung from local farmers at Rs 5 per kg. She procured all equipment for the unit from Coimbatore based on the technology provided by KNHPI. A litre of cowdung paint costs Rs 190, including GST.
Initially, she got some temples and houses painted in the region for free. “People saw a drastic reduction in heat in their houses after using Sannidhi Prakritik,” she said.