Businesses now coming back with improving COVID situation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 16 2021:
After months without means to earn income, Ningthoujam Ingelei is now able to open business.
Ingelei, 60, is wife of N Sanayaima from Thangmeiband Yumnam Leikai and she sells river sand on the footpath near eastern gate of Dhanamanjuri College.
COVID-19 pandemic had shut down her business since March and she had to face "some of the toughest times" .
With improving Covid situation, she resumed selling sand in November last year.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Ingelei said she started selling sand on the footpath following her husband since the last 20 years.
At one time, the price of a sand per bag was just around Rs 15 only.
Only a few of the families from Thangmeiband were in the sand business then.
Today, the price has soared up to Rs 120 per bag and the number of people doing this business has also increased manifold, she said.
She now sells sand from Maphou Dam and Dolaithabi at around Rs 17,000 and Rs 13,000 per truckload respectively, Ingelei said, adding she no longer gets sand from Sekmai due to restrictions.
About 19 people are now selling sand on the footpath, said Ingelei adding most of these sellers are from Thangmeiband.
When the business has resumed, lives of many labourers who collect, load and unload sand in different places are still to return to normalcy, she said.