Women Self-Help Groups in Haryana have made over 17 lakh protective face covers and masks, lending a help hand to the administration and NGOs trying to stop the spread of coronavirus.
In addition to the face covers and masks, they have prepared nearly 13,000 Personal Protection Equipment kits and 35,000 sanitizers of 100 ml each.
Their initiative has not only helped in boosting supply of these items but has also generated income for the SGHs, officials said.
There are over 40,000 SGHs in the state.
Through the district administration and NGOs these items are provided to various categories of workers engaged in the fight against COVID-19 as also to needy persons.
As many as 113 Women Self-Help Groups from 34 cities of the state have prepared 3,26,013 protective face covers and 225 protective kits.
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These groups have been formed under the Haryana State Urban Livelihood Mission.
The 40,031 SGHs formed in rural areas of the State have prepared 13,98,605 masks, 12,624 PPE kits and 35,000 sanitizers of 100 ml each.
Apart from this, these Self-Help Groups have also prepared 82,657 food packs and have earned an amount of about Rs. 1.25 crore, officials said.
Self-Help Groups of 10 to 20 urban poor women are formed under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana being implemented under National Urban Livelihoods Mission.
Haryana's Skill Development and Industrial Training Department is also preparing cotton cloth masks for giving them at a nominal price to the district administration and NGOs, Director General of the Department, Rakesh Gupta said.
Gupta said that there are 172 Government Industrial Training Institutes in Haryana.
As the government is also encouraging use of cloth masks for a healthy citizen, the department took the decision to initiate mass production of masks in state government ITIs and also to offer its infrastructure to Self Help Groups for making masks.
Gupta said the Department of Skill Development and Industrial Training, Haryana offered the use of its sewing machines for use by SHGs as per their requirement.
Apart from this, members of SHGs also started making masks on their own machines.
Gupta said the principals of the ITIs have been instructed to ensure compliance of prescribed norms of social distancing by all staff and trainees in institutes and to sanitise machines and trade workshops regularly.