Shimla: As the World is struggling in its fight against Coronavirus, availability of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits for health professionals has also become a matter of prime concern. In this hour of anxiety, Self Help Groups working under Rural Livelihood Mission have geared up to meet the demand.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Virender Kanwar claimed that more than 50 Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the State were preparing and producing about 15,000 masks every day to give a helping hand in the fight against Coronavirus. He said that 2000 women were involved in this task through various SHGs.
He said that about one lakh masks have been provided to various departments and organisations. The task of producing masks was being done on war footing, he added.
He said that 3000 women farmers were being encouraged to develop kitchen gardens by utilizing minimum land, so that fresh vegetables could be produced. He said that 11 young professionals have been given responsibility for guiding these women farmers and to ensure marketing of their produce, so that they could get fair price.
He said that a Self-Help Group in Sirmaur district has successfully prepared a sanitizer, which costs Rupees one hundred per 200 milliliter. He said that stress was being laid to train more SHGs to produce more masks.
Director Rural Development and State Head Livelihood Mission Lalit Jain said that the Personal Protection Equipment kit prepared by Self-Help Groups would cost a mere amount of Rs. 700 and three Self-Help Groups had been trained so far with a capacity of 100 kits per day, he added.
