K’taka Man Makes Masks That Grow Into Plants When Sown After Use

The activist said that these eco-friendly masks may not be as soft as the surgical ones but they are durable.

Image used for representational purpose.

(Photo Courtesy: Erum Gour/The Quint)

A Karnataka-based social entrepreneur and environmental activist Nithin Vas has thought of a unique idea to conserve the environment by making use of eco-friendly masks. Made of cotton rags that will develop into plants after being disposed in the soil, the masks are implanted with seeds of fruits and vegetables, ANI reported.

"We as an organisation designed this paper mask. The first layer of the mask is made up of cotton rags and the inner layer is made up of cotton linings. Interestingly, once these degradable masks are thrown in the soil, plants will grow out of them from the seeds embedded on these masks,” the activist told news agency ANI.

He further said that while surgical masks, or the masks made at home using different pieces of cloth act as protection against COVID-19 infection or infections from other viruses but “we also need to worry about the animals, and other aquatic animals because these masks go and reach the oceans, polluting them and also harming the aquatic life.”

Also, regarding the comfort, he said that these eco-friendly masks may not be as soft as the surgical ones but they are durable. He further advised not to wash them “as the cotton pulp of which the mask is made up, will get dissolved.”

India on Saturday, 24 April, reported 3,46,786 fresh COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours – the highest one-day spike so far in the country since the pandemic began.

As many as 2,624 COVID fatalities and 2,19,838 discharges in 24 hours were recorded, as per the Union Health Ministry. The total case tally has now reached 1,66,10,481 with 25,52,940 active patients and 1,89,544 deaths. The total number of recoveries, meanwhile, stands at 1,38,67,997.

(With inputs from ANI)