Lack of toilet facilties trouble women vendors
My City, My Life
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 25 2009: ''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.

An unkempt public toilet for women at a market place

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 Khwairamband 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, Kanglapat 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 convenience 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.

There is also no toilet at Moirang Leirak which is an important parking lot for the people coming from far off places located on either side of the National Highway 53 like Tamenglong, Nungba, Keithelmanbi, etc.

Suranjoy, a driver who has been doing service from the same parking lot for 17 years said 'for urinal it is not much of a problem.

But if it for defecation, one has to hire a rickshaw and go till Waheng Leikai'.

The problem is the same, not just for the drivers, but also for the passengers at Churachandpur Parking, Uripok Parking, Khoyathong Parking, Kanglapat Parking where there are no toilet facilities.

The situation is slightly better at Keishampat Parking where there is a toilet complex.

Privately run by an individual identified as Naorem Daka, the toilet complex has separate rooms for men (five in nos.) and one for women.

At Andro Parking, there used to be a toilet complex operated by Andro Parking Motor Owners' Co-operative Society.

But now it has been pulled down due to filling up of the tank.

At Pureiromba Ima Keithel, there is a two-room toilet complex constructed by Pureiromba Keithel Nupi Seva Committee.

Secretary of the Committee N Tombi Devi informed that the toilet complex is being used both by men and women but there is shortage of water.

According to an official source, the existing Sulabh complexes in some of the market places of the State including the Khwairamband Bazar at Imphal have been set up under the Manipur Housing and Urban Development (MAHUD) Department and two private agencies namely Manipur Social Service Organisation and Manipur Public Service Organisation have been entrusted to run them.

The Sulabh complexes which are being run under Manipur Social Service Organisation are located at Lamphel Super Market, RIMS Gate, RIMS Gynae, Nagamapal, Ima Keithel, Major Khul, Chingmeirong, Singjamei Bus Parking and Kwakeithel Bazar while the Sulabh complexes under the responsibility of Manipur Public Services Organisation are located at Khurai Lamlong, Lakshmi Bazar, Waheng Leikai, North AOC and JN Hospital complex, Porompat.

However, these Sulabh complexes have not been able to meet the need of ever increasing number of people coming to use them.

In this regard, one of the users noted, ''Most of the time there is rush and one has to wait for his/her turn atleast for sometime''.

Over and above these existing Sulabh complexes, it is learned that the two private agencies have approached the Government requesting for setting up similar complexes at Konung Mamang, Andro Parking, Jiri Parking, Keishampat, Nagamapal and Uripok Parking.

The functionaries of the two agencies also disclosed that after long years of use and catering to more number of people that its capacity, the existing Sulabh complexes are in need of repairing urgently.

There is also the problem of disposing the solid wastes from these Sulabh complexes, they informed.

According to another source, under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewable Mission, three mobile toilet vans would be pressed into services within the Imphal Municipality area very soon to mitigate the problem of absence of proper toilet facilities in the Imphal city.