My City, My Life. Lack of toilet facilties trouble women vendors

IMPHAL, Jan 25: ‘‘Those who are not bold enough leave their goods behind and go to the Sulabh at Waheng Leikai while those who are bold enough simply ease themselves in the open along the embankment of Nambul river.”These words of a woman vendor who has been selling fishes for the last 15 years from the market located in front of Uripok Cheirap Court complex here sum up the predicament of the shop-keepers and customers alike in most market places of Imphal if they have to answer the call of nature.Talking of keeping the city neat and clean, providing public convenience facilities at proper places is very much essential. But the ground reality tells a different tale in Khwai-ramband Market, the largest commercial centre of the city and other important markets located around the city.Public convenience facilities in the three women market sheds of the Khwairamband Bazar and the market shed in front of the Cheirap Court complex as well as in the parking lots at Moirang Leirak, Waheng Leikai, Nagamapal, Kang-lapat within the Imphal city itself and in other surrounding markets like Tera Keithel, Singjamei Keithel, Kwakeithel Bazar, Lamlong Bazar, , Lamlong Bazar, Pureiromba Ima Keithel, etc are at the most non-existence or even if there are such facilities, they are more inconvenient for the public to use them due to want of urgent repairing.No doubt, public conve-nience facilities have been installed at some places either by private individuals or bus owners, but the existing ones are inadequately less in keeping up with the growing demand.Moreover, inspite of the obvious biological difference and need between man and woman as well as the associated social mores, there are no separate toilets for man and woman in most cases, thus causing lot of inconveniences to a many a women when they have to use these toilets.Talking to The Sangai Express, 57-year old Jamuna, who has been selling fish from the market in front of Uripok Cheirap Court complex for the last 15 years said there is no toilet facility in the market shed where hundreds of women are coming to sell their goods every day. So those who are not bold enough have to leave their goods in the care of someone and go to the Sulabh at Waheng Leikai and those who are bold enough simply go along the embankment of Nambul river to ease themselves.