SRINAGAR: As many as 150 girls from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in north Kashmir ’s Bandipora district — which has the highest number of coronavirus-positive patients in J&K with 91 confirmed cases as per official figures — have made at least one lakh masks to fight the pandemic. The masks were made under the centrally-sponsored National Rural Livelihood Scheme (NRLS) and will be sold at Rs 7 each. The target is to stitch three lakh more. Haseena Qasim (26), a postgraduate in Kashmiri language and the cluster coordinator in the district under the NRL scheme, said the exercise was their own way of contributing to the fight against the global pandemic. “We were guided about the design by the rural development department’s block programme officer Arif Jan. We have a target of making four lakh masks for the district,” she said, adding that masks will be sold to Bandipora residents via the deputy commissioner’s office. Haseena, who lives in Nowgam in Sumbal, has stitched around 2800 masks alone. Mymoona Ali (23) from Nowgam, along with a group of girls under the ‘Ummeed’ self-help programme, have joined the cause. “Since April 9, we have stitched at least 8338 masks and supplied them to the district administration,” Mymoona said.Like Haseena and Mymoona, the Ummeed programme has benefitted many other women from BPL families who have been robbed of employment opportunities because of the lockdown and helped them continue supporting their kin. “The work gives us happiness that we are able to do something for the people, while also helping us earn our livelihood. Lives are precious and our priority is stitching as many masks as possible, without thinking about money,” Haseena said.Block programme officer Arif Jan said, “We have covered three blocks and engaged 150 girls from Bandipora’s BPL families in making masks for residents and healthcare workers as well. So far, we have received around one lakh masks from these girls. The target is four lakh. We are yet to decide on the final price of the masks, but are planning to sell them for Rs 7 each.”As per official figures, Bandipora has 91 Covid-positive patients so far, the highest in J&K.