Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the scarcity of masks in the market, the women self help groups (SHGs) in Ganjam district have now chipped in to manufacture masks in good quantity through locally available commodities to cater to the rising demand.
Women groups in several blocks have now started manufacturing masks in plenty and are distributing it at affordable rates. The workers are now using easily available cotton clothes and other materials to ensure hygienic items which could also be re-used more than once.
“We are producing close to 100 such masks per day with the help of 60 women members of our team. They are using cotton to make this. The advantage of these masks is that it can be used 2-3 times unlike the commercial masks available in the market,” said Basant Padhi, a trainer who is helping the women members of Ganjam-based Radhakant SHG to learn to make such products.
The SHG members started manufacturing the masks from Sunday and are set to distribute it to panchayat levels from Monday. Each mask is likely to be sold at Rs 20 per piece. The workers claimed that many of them joined this mission to help at this critical time.
In an official statement on the issue, the Ganjam Collector’s office said that there is no need to worry for masks as they are being produced by women SHGs in Ganjam and it will be available at panchayat levels from Monday.
“Many SHG workers from different corners of the district have started making the masks to cater to the higher demands in the market at a time when the threat of coronavirus looms large,” Manorama Reddy, Ganjam District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) told Orissa POST.
As per the marketing plan, the SHG workers will submit their produce to the government which will later ensure its delivery with the support of its grassroots workers. The SHG workers had an interactive session Saturday with the Ganjam Collector Vijay Kulange and DSWO and other officials on the rates, quality and distribution of such masks to different locations.