New Delhi, Jul 26 (IANS): In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the women self-help groups in Bihar for making masks depicting Madhubani paintings. These masks have gained popularity during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Modi said, "This Madhubani mask not only propagates tradition but also provides employment to the people ensuring health and safety."

In his address, he also referred to the innovative use of the bamboo industry in the northeast. He said that artisans from Manipur, Tripura and Assam have started making quality water bottles and tiffin boxes from bamboo.

"If you look at their quality, you will not believe that bamboo bottles can be so decorative and eco-friendly. When you make them, bamboo is boiled with neem or other medicinal plants which also brings out medicinal properties in them," he remarked.

The Prime Minister also made a mention of the lemongrass cultivation by a group of people in Jharkhand. He said, "More than 30 groups in Bishunpur, Jharkhand cultivate lemongrass, which is ready in four months and its oil is sold in the market at competitive price and there is good demand for it."

Modi said that a positive effort helps to turn disaster into opportunity and difficulty into development.