While people prepare to celebrate the festival of Holi on March 6, scientists suggest precautions to avoid the harmful effects of colours containing toxic chemicals and adulterated food items. They further point out that the Government has failed to take effective action to curtail the thriving business of adulteration. The Dehradun based Society of Pollution and Environment Conservation Scientists (SPECS) has been undertaking survey and lab tests of samples of colours and food items from various locations during Holi, Yatra season and other festive periods for about 15 years now. According to SPECS secretary, Dr Brij Mohan Sharma, adulteration in food items and colours has continued unabated in the State. The Health Department and District administration have failed to execute their duty effectively due to which the public will be exposed to serious health hazards in the form of toxic chemical laced colours being sold for the Holi festival. Using traditional and even expensive ‘organic’ colours sold in Dehradun might prove harmful for health as majority of these products contain a variety of harmful chemicals and industrial dyes, many of which are carcinogenic. Majority of the samples tested by SPECS were found to contain chemicals which are toxic and can cause a variety of disorders including cancer. Sharma further informed that the society had been conducting laboratory tests on samples collected from various places for more than a decade now and submitting the test report to the Government. However, the authorities had failed to take effective measures for tackling the sale of adulterated items in the market. Colours sold for Holi, including those branded ‘organic’ have been found to contain various toxics. These toxins not only cause health problems to humans but also cause damage to the environment after they are washed off.