Toilet sans water mars Keithel project
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 11 2011:
Although all the three markets complexes of Khwairamband Keithel have standard toilet complexes, these facilities are of little use as the toilet complexes are not provided adequate water.
This much hyped Keithel project took almost 10 years and every one, despite the undue delay, were hopeful that the market complex once completed would do away with the problem of absence of adequate number of toilet complexes at Khwairamband Keithel.
Even as standard toilet complexes have been attached to all the three market complexes, there is no provision for adequate water.
After the three markets complexes, now named Nupi Keithel I, Nupi Keithel II and Nupi Keithel III, were inaugurated by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on November 12 last year, women vendors started plying their business at the new complexes from January 4 .
Though it is eight days since women vendors took their seats in the new complexes, vendors of Nupi Keithel II have not been allowed to use the toilets attached to their complex till date.
Water is not available in Nupi Keithel III.
Even though water is available in the toilet complex of Nupi Keithel I, the water pipes and taps have been hanging loosely.
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As the vendors of Nupi Keithel II have not been allowed to use their market complexes, they are currently using the toilet complex being run by SMPO under MAHUD.
Likewise, vendors of Nupi Keithel III are also using the toilet complex being run by SMPO.
Meanwhile, the charge of using toilet has increased from Rs 5 to Rs 8 .
Whereas, the three market complexes appeared quite impressive outwardly, the toilet complexes of Nupi Keithels I and III are not so impressive.
These toilet complexes are built on the top floors.
Nupi Keithel III has three toilets with commodes and another three without commodes for use as urinal in women's section.
In addition, there are six water basins.
Till date, the men's section remained locked.
But strangely, no water is available in this toilet complex.
One vendor of Nupi Keithel III said, "we are impressed with the design and structure of the market complexes, we don't have such toilet facility at our home but this beautiful facility has been rendered something purposeless due to unavailability of water" .
Saying that unavailability of water would lead to intolerable filthiness, the woman vendor appealed to the authority to make necessary arrangements so that water is available in adequate quantity at the earliest.
For drinking, the women vendors brought water bottles from their homes.
They also used these water bottles for defecation.
As the water bottles were not enough, often the bodily discharges could not be flushed away.
The urinals have also become offensively smelly due to lack of water to wash the urine traces.
"Under such conditions, we are compelled to run to the external toilet complex for defecation at Rs 8 for per entry", the woman vendor said.
"If there is adequate water, we can keep the toilets clean", she added.
She also appealed to the fellow vendors not to spit pan/talab on walls.
Vendors of Nupi Keithel II have also appealed to the authority concerned to let them use their toilet complex.
As Nupi Keithel I is the largest, its toilet complex is also more spacious.
This market complex has 11 toilets with commodes, 11 toilets without commodes and 11 water basins.
One Rajeshwari, who sells ladies' ornamental items said that they were delighted with the facilities of the new market complexes.
"But we would like the Government to appoint a caretaker for the toilet complex.
Regular mopping and cleansing would be required to keep the toilet complex neat and clean", she said.
However, all the pipes connecting to the water basins have detached and all the water taps loosened.
There was no quality control in the pipe fitting work, she added.