Operation ‘Clean Art’
About Operation Clean Art:
- Operation Clean Art was the first pan India operation to crackdown on the smuggling of mongoose hair in the country.
- This is an special operation of WCCB to conduct raids across various states to keep a check on the factories that were making brushes with mongoose hair.
- Painters prefer brushes made of mongoose hair because they are superior and hold colour better, and there is no better alternatives it.
- During this raid approximately 26,000 brushes and over 100 kg of raw mongoose hair was seized.
- It has to be noted that for about 150 kg of mongoose hair, at least 6,000 animals would have been killed.
About Mongoose species:
- There are six species of mongoose found in India.
- All mongoose species found in India are protected under Schedule II (Part II) of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which prohibits all trade of animals listed in it.
- IUCN Status – Least concern.
Government Interventions:
- There have been instances in which mongoose hair has been transported using courier companies. So, Postal Department authorities are also trying to spread awareness and identify illegal trade in wildlife.
- There is also a campaign on social media where concerned organisations are urging artists to take a pledge to refrain from using brushes made of mongoose hair.
