Unlock 5: Children in Arunachal Pradesh to wear Khadi face masks when schools reopen on this date

File Photo (ANI)

Itanagar: Thousands of school children in Arunachal Pradesh will be sporting tri-colour Khadi face masks as they return to their schools for the first time post-COVID-19 lockdown. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has supplied 60,000 Khadi cotton face masks for school children as the Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to reopen schools from November 16.

This is for the first time that a state government in North East India has purchased such a huge quantity of Khadi face masks for its students. 

As per a report, the purchase order was issued on November 3, and KVIC has supplied the requisite masks to the government considering the urgency involved in 6 days.

KVIC has provided double-layered, tri-colour cotton face masks to Arunachal Pradesh government with its logo suitably placed on the masks. The face masks in tri-colour also aim at instilling a sense of nationalism among the students.

KVIC has specifically used double twisted Khadi fabric for manufacturing these masks as it helps retain 70% of the moisture content inside while providing an easy passage for the air to pass through. These masks are, therefore, skin-friendly and suitable for long-duration use. Khadi cotton face masks are washable, reusable and biodegradable.

"The Government of Arunachal Pradesh has decided to open schools for class 10th and 12th from 16th November 2020, and also accorded approval for procurement of 60,000 Khadi cotton face masks from KVIC for the school children," the purchase order issued by the state government said.

"This is a prestigious order for KVIC and such big orders create an additional job for Khadi artisans. We have supplied the order in just 6 days while ensuring the highest quality standards of face masks," KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said.

Notably, KVIC has sold 23 lakh face masks in just over 6 months since it was launched in April this year. KVIC has received several bulk orders including 12.30 lakh face masks from the Indian Red Cross Society. It has also received orders from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister’s Office, several State Governments and Central Government Ministries and PSUs apart from the general public.