Wearing masks can be claustrophobic, but there’s no doing without them now given the growing COVID-19 threat in our country. Several designers have studied surgical masks such as N95 and come up with their own “more breathable” prototypes using cotton. These masks give partial protection provided they are regularly washed. The designers plan to distribute them among the masses either for free or at a nominal price through various networks.
Designer Rahul Mishra has come up with a version using a double layer of cotton that adheres to recommendations of the U.S. health protection agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“So far, I have made a thousand for my workers and their families. These are washable masks and need to be dried in the sun. Each artisan has been assigned three masks which they have to change after three hours,” said Mr. Mishra, resident of a Noida apartment identified as a COVID-19 hotspot. “My workers live around the area that has been sealed by the Noida authorities. I don’t want them to be robbed of their livelihood even if they observe social distancing,” he said.
Mr. Mishra now plans to make 1,00,000 masks for the public once the lockdown restrictions are eased. His rationale: “Even after the lockdown, everyone will have to wear a mask just like they wear a vest.” The average cost of the mask would be less than ₹10.
Two variants
Similarly, Aneeth Arora, a textile revivalist who like Mr. Mishra studied at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, has designed a three-layered cotton mask. The designer, whose factory at Patparganj Industrial Area is currently closed because the area has been identified as another ‘containment zone’, has come up with two variants — one pleated and the other open. The cost of each mask, made from off-white fabric, would be ₹100.
“Making masks is the need of the hour. The FDCI [Fashion Design Council of India] will figure out how many masks we have to be make,” she said. “These masks will be delivered free of cost and distribution will be entirely left to the Delhi police,” said Sunil Sethi, FDCI president.
Suket Dhir is using hand-spun, hand-woven cotton from West Bengal to make masks that are breathable and can be easily washed and reused. “These masks made of two-or three-layered cotton are of strong quality,” he said.
Mr. Dhir started production from April 10. “Since my artisans have gone away, I am making use of women volunteers from Neb Sarai near Sainik Farm who were trained in a programme of the Skill India campaign,” he said. His masks will be distributed free of cost through an NGO.
