Women vendors heave sigh of relief as quake-hit Ima Keithel sheds restored
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 01 2018:
As the restoration work of Imoinu Keithel of Keithel No 2 and Phouoibi Keithel of Keithel No 3 of Khwairamband that were rattled by the January 4,2016 earthquake has been completed, women vendors of the two market sheds, who were vending wares at the temporary market shed long the road adjacent to Johnstone Higher Secondary School have started shifting to their original places from today morning.
With the two market sheds being restored, dismantling work of the temporary market shed has started from yesterday evening.
Talking to this daily, Th Shanti, president of Khwairanband Nupi Keithel Sinpham Amadi Saktam Kanba Lup said that the two market sheds were greatly damaged by the January 4 earthquake that came as a shocker to the State.
She said that the women vendors were vending wares at the temporary market shed for the last two years without much profit due to sparse inflow of buyers.
Although the women vendors have started shifting to the restored market sheds, they have not yet begun selling items.
A religious ceremony will be held tomorrow at Khwairamband Keithel and after this the women vendors will start vending at the historic market sheds, she said.
She informed that MAHUD Minister Th Shyamkumar and MAHUD Commissioner and other concerned officials would take part in the religious ceremony.
It may be mentioned that Works Minister Th Biswajit had announced that the two market sheds that were devastated by the earthquake would be handed over to the women vendors by January 22.An expert team of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee had inspected the damaged Ima Keithel sheds.
They had observed that the market sheds developed serious damage and advised against occupying it.
The buildings need retrofitting before it can be occupied.
The expert team had ruled out complete demolition of the structures as repairing can be done.