NEW DELHI: Quietly working behind the scenes, women across India are steering the fight against Covid-19 through self help groups. Data collected so far by the ministry of rural development shows that nearly 66,000 women from over 14,500 Self Help Groups across 24 states have made 1.32 crore cloth masks to beat the shortage of masks in the market and provide a durable and reusable solution to frontline workers and poor communities who cannot afford to buy, use and throw masks after using them once.There are an estimated 6 crore women associated with 60 lakh SHGs registered under the National Rural Livelihood Mission of the Union ministry of rural development. According to Nita Kejriwal, joint secretary, Union ministry of rural development, more and more SHGs in states are now producing cloth masks given their durability and more are coming on board to take up a range of activities. The data for 1.32 crores masks is based on information collated over phone and emails and efforts are on to consolidate the data further to plan the way forward.The minsitry has issued detailed advisories to state missions under NRLM on the wide range of activities the SHGs can be involved with to contain the spread of Corona virus. The list also includes making masks, sanitisers, gloves, soap and reaching the hungry through community kitchens.Of those showing the way, Kerala is a case in point. Besides reaching out to people through community kitchens, over 300 women-led micro enterprises under the Kudumbashree – State Poverty Eradication Mission in Kerala have churned out more than 14.50 lakh cloth masks and over 2,100 litres of hand sanitisers. Priced between Rs 10 to 15 depending on the layering in the mask, the micro enterprises have by that measure grossed a turnover of around Rs 2 crore through their modest units helping in meeting the demand for masks and providing a durable, reusable option in cloth. The masks are being sought through bulk orders by government departments and essential service providers sending out frontline workers serving in the field.The women working in these units themselves bought the cloth and started work while ensuring social distancing in their tailoring units, said S Harikishore , executive director at Kudumbashree. Bulk orders for masks from various agencies like the Kerala Medical Service Corporation, Airport Authority and Food Corporation of India have been fulfilled. The mask production started on March 16 across all 14 districts of Kerala and sanitiser production started two days later.In Bihar for instance, all 38 districts have been involved in making masks. As per data shared by authorities there with the rural development ministry, 800 households engaged in the activity have produced over 2 lakh masks in response to orders from government departments. These masks have been vetted by the health department of Bihar. These masks are also being distributed among poor families.In far off Andaman and Nicobar Islands too the SHGs have started work on masks. According to Monica Priyadarshini , deputy commissioner, Nicobar, SHGs started making masks a week back from cloth and these masks are being provided to front line workers, government department staff and community members for free.