Odisha tribal villagers make masks using Sal leaves as protection

In an innovative way, villagers of Litiguda in Odisha's Koraput district are making masks using Sal leaves to protect their families from the deadly coronavirus.

Koraput (Odisha):As there is a huge shortage of masks across the country, villagers of Litiguda in Odisha's Koraput district are making masks using Sal leaves to protect their families from the deadly virus.

According to sources, the villagers are using handmade masks as part of precautionary measures as well as spreading awareness among others about the deadly virus. The residents of the village are wearing masks made of Sal leaves collected from the forest to prevent themselves from coronavirus.

With masks fast disappearing from medical stores amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, the villagers have started to make the protective cover on their own, sources said.

"We are collecting sal leaves from the nearby forest and using it as a mask. We don't have adequate money to buy masks from the medical stores. When we got to know that coronavirus is too deadly and the mask is a much-needed weapon for that, we started indigenous method to protect ourselves," said Shyam Paraja, villager, Litiguda.

Reportedly, the conscious villagers are following the precautions and also making others aware of sanitisation to prevent coronavirus infections.