District administration to rope in more SHGs to produce masks

Nivedha Selvam | TNN | Updated: Apr 13, 2020, 08:56 IST

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COIMBATORE: The district administration is in the process of identifying 25 more self-help groups (SHGs) to produce reusable cloth masks.
At present, 25 SHGs are making the masks in the district, an official with the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women said. “They have produced 2.5 lakh masks till date. While most of them are producing reusable cotton masks, only three groups are making non-woven masks. Depending on the variety and quality of the masks, one is sold for Rs 10 to Rs 15,” he said.
More than half of the masks are sold to government departments including cooperative stores, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and local bodies, the official said. “We have also been receiving bulk orders from companies and volunteers who want to distribute masks to the public.”
Pointing out that they have been working on to increase the number of SHGs involved in producing masks, the official said that their target is to meet the local demand, which is on the rise. “At present, the SHGs are not scattered evenly across the district. While some blocks have two to three groups, others don’t have any. As a result, residents are forced to buy the masks from other places. We want to ensure that each block has at least one SHG to meet the local demand. We will help them to purchase raw materials and to market the product.”
Acknowledging the rising demand for face masks, Beulah Helen Rani of Illanthalir Women’s group in Pilichi said the SHG was producing 1,000 masks a day. “On some days, our members can produce 5,000 masks. We have been receiving orders from hospitals, panchayat offices and shops,” she said.
The demand for raw materials has also increased due to the lockdown, Rani said. “We were forced to reduce the output due to the lack of sufficient raw materials and transportation issues.”