The second wave of Corona has become so dangerous that people’s lives are in danger. This time the outbreak of the second wave is more visible than the first wave, in these circumstances, the mask has become very important. Due to the second wave, the stock of masks lying in Godowno of producers for months now started to settle.
Last year, when the demand for N-95 was plentiful, doctors and experts said about the N-95 mask that this mask is not effective to prevent corona infection, so on seeing the customers, all kinds of N-95 masks. Stopped buying and manufacturers, distributors and medical stores across the country were left with no one to buy masks. It is to be known that in the month of July last year, regarding the N-95 mask, the Central Government had written a letter to all the states and union territories, warning that people should not use the N-95 mask with breathable pores. These masks are not meant to protect the virus from spreading and can be harmful to the users. It was advised to follow the advisory issued by the government.
As soon as this letter of the government came, all kinds of N-95 masks came under suspicion in the eyes of the customers and that stock kept on eating dust till the month of March this year and wherever they were sold, they were sold at throwaway prices. According to Mr. Mahesh Bhai of Rudraksh Group, a manufacturer of surgical disposable and N-95 masks in Surat, N-95 masks had to be sold for Rs 3, he himself had bought these masks for Rs 2.40. It is said that a producer in Surat had a stock of 1.5 million N-95 masks since last October. The N-95 mask is said to cost Rs 7-8 and the producers had to sell it for Rs 2.40 at the bottom. Mayank Bhai told that the second wave of Corona is proving to be dangerous, due to which people are nervous, so now the demand for N-95 masks has come out. There is a shortage of mantle bond row materials to take up new production.
According to Mr. Ashok Mehta of Ruchi Industries, the n-masks made by him are of quality quality and they meet 100% according to health related and government instructions. They did not have stock of masks at any point of time. Ruchi’s masks were sold for 70 lakhs to the Assam government through a dealer. His N-95 masks still sell for Rs 15 and surgical masks for Rs 2. Surat Municipal Corporation and Gujarat Government etc. also buy masks of interest. Laxmipati Group, which used to make both PPE kits and masks, but in between stopped production due to weak demand from the government. Sanjay Saraogi of Lakshmipati Group said that there was neither demand at domestic level nor at export level. Therefore, a lot of production of masks and PPE kits across the country including Surat had stopped.
Despite being harmful, cloth masks are being sold indiscriminately in the name of branded. According to doctors and experts, the mask through which water passes is not useful from any point of view, due to which the risk of corona infection will remain. It is worth mentioning that textile processing centers and manufacturing markets like Pali, Balotra, Jaitpur, Sanganer, Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, Jaitpur etc. Print fabrics like cotton, PV, PC, spun, rayon, synthetic, cambric, poplin etc. Gowns and various women make useful dress materials. But the mask producers are making branded masks across the country by purchasing these print cambrics etc. Masks are being produced in all the mandis across the country, lakhs of women are getting employment. These masks are being sold in bulk from Rs 5 to Rs 50 and in retail from Rs 10 to Rs 200. The gray fabric for this print dress material is supplied from mandis like Malegaon, Bhiwandi, Ichalkaranji, Tirupur, Erode, Surat, Burhanpur etc.
– (Ganpat Bhansali)