As the entire world is finding novel ways to respond to the challenges posed by COVID19 pandemic, 500 rural women in Lakhimpur district are working day and night to make face masks.
As a preventive measure to contain the spread of COVID19, the government has asked the citizens to wear face masks in public places.
The 500 women spread across the district are making face masks under the brand name ‘Asomi’.
The blue-coloured face masks are made of cotton sheets.
The women belonging to 81 Gaon Panchayats of Lakhimpur district have been working day and night since the beginning of Rongali Bihu in a bid to make 1,62,000 masks per week.
They expect that in the coming days, ‘Asomi’ masks would replace the imported ones flooding the markets.
The Lakhimpur District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has taken this initiative under the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM) during the lockdown period.
The DRDA has been distributing the fabrics, threads and elastic materials to the women entrepreneurs with the help of Lakhimpur district administration.
The district administration is planning to distribute the ‘Asomi’ masks among the poor and needy citizens in Lakhimpur through the Gaon Panchayats.
The 500 women engaged in making the masks during the lockdown period are silently contributing towards the fight against COVID19 in Lakhimpur district at a time when 3M 9004IN+ masks are being sold in exuberant rates in the chemist shops.
According to reports, such masks are being sold at Rs. 250-300 per piece in North Lakhimpur which is not affordable for the common people.
The ‘Asomi’ masks are washable and are considered good quality face masks for use.