SHILLONG: The makeshift vegetable market, created at Mawlonghat Parking lot here due to shut down of Iewduh, is emerging to be only a pale shadow of the big market in terms of volume of sales and foot fall of customers.
A visit by this reporter on Saturday, revealed that the temporary arrangement was not much to the liking of many due to over-crowding of stalls and absence of buyers as was the case in Iewduh.
Quite a large number of vegetable wholesalers and retailers have been accommodated at the three-storied building making it a congested place. Although they agreed to relocate here temporarily for their survival as Hobson’s choice, all of them questioned as to how long the temporary arrangements would continue. These traders are looking for the earliest opportunity to go back to Iewduh where they have their shops.
Martina Lyngdoh, who retails vegetables, lamented that the temporary arrangements would not sustain for long and they should be allowed to move to Iewduh where they can carry on with their business as usual.
She lamented that the temporary market suddenly became over-crowded after more shopkeepers were put in the market recently even as she added that social distancing can be maintained in a better way in Iewduh. “Our sale is not much but we have to come here every day as now it is about our survival,” she said.
Low transactions apart, health protocols and cleanliness of the market appeared to have become a casualty. Social distancing is only a myth here and nobody cares to follow social distancing, while there is no institutional mechanism to oversee the health and hygiene.
Though cent percent of the shopkeepers and customers visiting the market were seen to be wearing masks, a matter of concern was accumulated garbage and waste materials that lie strewn in the market.
However, a woman trader from Laban who did not wish to be identified and was exporting her vegetables to Assam, pointed out that a wash basin had been placed at the entry of the market for people to wash their hands while entering but there was hardly anyone who followed the advisory.