On the 24th of October, 2017, MBDA conducted a Community Dialogue at Khliehriat, East Jaintia Hills District, , as part of the Meghalaya Livelihood and Access to Markets Project (Megha-LAMP), to discuss key market issues faced by market stakeholders and the way forward to address these issues. Participants included the headman, members of the market committee, market stakeholders such as shopkeepers, drivers, labourers, and primary school teachers.
Several key issues were identified during the course of the discussions including -
- Water storage in the market
- Lack of proper drainage system
- Waste which is scattered on the sides of the road often leading to blockage
- Small parking lot resulting in regular traffic jams during loading and unloading products
- Lack of a storage facilities, go-downs and warehouses for storage and preservation of goods
- Most sellers do not have electricity while those who have access to it have had to connect it from house owners on paying a fixed amount monthly
- Overcrowded and unhygienic toilets due to the large number of people on market days
Outcome of the Dialogue
Based on these issues, several potential solutions were deliberated over including -
- Drilling of water hole within the market vicinity to tackle shortage of water supply
- Construction of a proper drainage system coupled with awareness on cleanliness to improve market cleanliness which will increase inflow of buyers as well as tourists
- Waste should be segregated into bio-degradable and non degradable waste to ease disposal.
- It was also agreed that through market funds and government schemes, a small complex can be built where sellers can be categorised and sell their products in respective sections; Both local and imported products can be sold which will attract both buyers and sellers thus increasing overall revenue