In 465 Gajapati villages, mask is the new normal
Berhampur: From children to women, the more than 430 residents of Luhangar, which is a tribal-dominated village in Gajapati district’s Nuagada block, all can be seen moving around wearing masks.
Luhangar is one of the villages that have been declared as the ‘Swapurna Mask Gaon’ by the district administration. “We were happy to see that the villagers are aware of the benefits of the use of masks,” district collector (Gajapati) Anupam Saha said after assessing the situation there on Wednesday.
Luhangar is among 465 of the 1,534 villages in Gajapati district to have earned the ‘Swapurna Mask Gaon’ tag so far. Sources said the rest are expected to become cent percent mask-wearing villages by the end of this month, thereby making Gajapati a district where every one dons a mask.
The Gajapati district administration had launched the ‘Swapurna Mask Gaon’ campaign on May 2 to ensure that all its residents wear masks to keep the life-threatening virus at bay.
“Our objective is to make Gajapati a ‘Swapurna Mask District’ where everyone puts on a mask, which is one of the major tools to protect oneself from the killer virus,” the district collector said.
The masks are being made by members of 110 women self-help groups across the district with the active support of the Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM) and Mission Shakti. Around four lakh masks are expected to be stitched by these women self-help groups. The sources said they have made around three lakh masks so far, of which they have already sold more than two lakh masks.
“The women self-help group members are selling the masks in their respective villages with the active support of volunteers. The campaign has also helped these women earn during the pandemic,” the district collector said.
The district administration has made the wearing of masks in public places mandatory. Those who step out without one are liable to be fined. This apart, the district administration has also laid thrust on ‘No mask, no grocery’ and ‘No mask, no petrol’ to drive home the message.