In an effort to save his dying business, a photographer in Coimbatore has begun to design customizable face masks for people amid COVID-19 pandemic. With the lower half of the wearer's face printed on the mask, the move seems to have evoked a positive response from the public.
"I am into photography business for the past 33 years and now due to coronavirus pandemic, my business has been badly hit. Although the government allowed us to open the studios but due to social distancing norms and the fear of the virus, the business has not picked up. This is my only bread and butter, I had to do something and just then, I had this idea to put customers' face print on the mask itself," Murali, the photographer, spoke to .
Shedding light on his idea, he further said that the advantage of a customised mask is that it enables others to identify the wearer without taking off the mask.
"What we do is, we take the photograph of the person. We edit the photograph and print the image just below the eyes, of their nose and mouth and imprint that on the mask," he added.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing masks is mandatory, and revoking this rule can lead to penalties.
"This idea has gained a positive response from people. There is a huge demand, particularly in school-going children. Many students go to school by private vehicles and vans. With an ordinary face mask, the driver will not be able to recognize the child. We will provide face masks for school students with the image of the lower half of their face on it, along with their name and the name of their school. This way drivers will be able to easily identify the students," Murali said.
He also feels that such masks, with face images, could also help in controlling the crime rate amid the current situation.
Sushma, a local resident and college student, shares his sentiment, "I am a post-graduate student. We are facing several problems due to coronavirus. Since wearing masks has been made compulsory and due to the lockdown, the crime rate against women has risen. The criminals cover their faces and do what they want with no fear of repercussions. If wearing face image masks becomes a mandatory, besides keeping us safe from the infection, it will also make those criminals accountable for their actions."
Murali's innovative idea seems to have gathered several positive reactions. As per him, if he could use his skills to benefit people while keeping them safe, it is a "win-win situation".
( With inputs from ANI )