Andhra govt mobilises 40,000 women in SHGs to make Covid face-masks; at Rs 3.5 per mask

Amid the shortage of essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), the Andhra Pradesh Government has given mass orders to women belonging to self-help groups under the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA). As per the state data, more than 40,000 women belonging to self-help groups in the state have gained employment in the production of these masks earning Rs 500 per day. In addition to that, the state government announced that it would distribute around 16 crore of these masks produced by the SHGs to the needy across the state for free.  

Read: Andhra Pradesh: Doctors To Conduct 5,508 COVID-19 Tests Per Day, Set Record

The Andhra Pradesh government's programme to provide three masks to every citizen has given employment to these women at a time when the families are suffering from lack of work and uncertainty of finances due to the prolonged COVID-19 lockdown.  

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Each woman gets paid Rs 3.5 for every mask that she makes, with most producing around 140 masks earning roughly Rs 500 per day. The cloth used for these masks is acquired from the Andhra Pradesh Cooperative for Handloom Weavers in order to provide a means for sustenance for the weaving community as well. As per the state, roughly 20 lakh meters of cloth have been procured from the weavers to date with 7.28 lakh masks ready.

Meanwhile, in the view of the Coronavirus crisis, the doctors in Andhra Pradesh have set a record for conducting 5,508 COVID -19 tests per day. According to reports, with touching the record, the state will occupy second place in the country to have conducted a maximum number of tests per million. With a total of 65 discharged and 17 deceased, the number of active coronavirus cases in the state stands at 565.

Read: 44 New Coronavirus Cases In Andhra Pradesh, Tally Climbs To 647

Read: India's Covid Test Count Crosses 4 Lakh; 17,265 Total Cases; 543 Deaths; 2,547 Recoveries

(With Agency Inputs)