The Mahila Haat on Asaf Ali Road feels like a frontier town where a small group of women are trying to make a little bit of money under a harsh sun.
With no water in the lone washroom, suspicious sanitary conditions and unreliable lighting, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run Mahila Haat is not an easy place to work. But, a few women are braving the deplorable facilities in order to realise their self-employment dreams.
On Thursday afternoon, of the 55 stalls less than 10 were occupied. An Old Delhi resident, Yasmin, runs a stall of embroidered clothing from Lucknow. After dropping her daughter off for the day, she opens a tattered old cupboard to set up shop in the afternoon.
The stalls have no furniture, fans, storage and display. The stall operators allege the toilets have no water, the lights don’t work and haven’t been replaced despite repeated complaints to the North Corporation.
“There are no customers here because there are no facilities for us women. There is garbage at the entrance and small dhabas running there are a nuisance,” Yasmin said.
The stall owners accuse the eateries that are right under the Haat of misguiding potential visitors and damaging its entrance and signage.
Rajpal Singh, whose wife has a handicrafts stall, said: “When people ask about the Mahila Haat, the guys downstairs say ‘don’t go there, the women will beat you’.”
Another stall operator, Zarina, said: “We are sick of telling the authorities about our problems. We have told them to cover the stalls, about the lack of cleanliness, but there has been no action.”
Mr. Singh added: “We want the stalls to be covered from three sides and a shutter in the front. Our merchandise is not safe, the safe boxes they have given us are prone to water seepage.”
He went on to add: “This is a crowded area in the centre of the city and has Metro connectivity, so we thought it would be ideal. But, it hasn’t turned out like that.”
But, despite all the problems, the handful of stalls are trying to make the Haat a success. “I do this because this is something in my hands, it’s my own project,” says a hopeful Yasmin.
