Covid: Karnataka activist develops mask that grows into plant once sown after use

A Karnataka-based social entrepreneur and environmental activist has come up with a unique initiative for conserving the environment by introducing eco-friendly masks made up of cotton rags which will grow into plants once disposed off in the soil as they are embedded with seeds of fruits and vegetables.

Speaking to , social entrepreneur and environmental activist Nithin Vas said, "We as an orgsation 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 mask is eco-friendly and degradable. You can see a huge amount of masks, incuding the surgical ones, or the ones that you make at home or the towel that you tie. It saves you from the COVID infection or the infection one can contract from various viruses. But the most important thing that we need to remember is that with the conservation of human beings, we also need to worry about the mals, the and and other aquatic mals because these masks go and reach the oceans, polluting them an also harming the aquatic life," said Vas.

These masks may not be as soft as surgical ones but they are durable and it is advisable not to wash them as the cotton pulp of which the mask is made up, will get dissolved, he added.

This comes at a time when the country is witnessing a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, thereby increasing the need to mask up against the virus.

India reported 2,73,810 new COVID-19 cases, 1,619 fatalities and 1,44,178 discharges in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry.

( With inputs from ANI )