Not in pink of health: ₹3k rent, vending zones lack washroom and power line

Noida: Women shopowners in the pink vending zones are struggling to continue work in the harsh winter. It has been two years since the Noida Authority allotted them the shops, which, till now, lack locks or shutters, washrooms, and electricity connections. This is despite the women paying a Rs 3,000 monthly rent and maintenance charges that vary across the zones. In the Sector 62 pink vending zone, two of the five women vendors now sleep in their shops at night despite the freezing temperatures because there are no locks or shutters to close their shops. Aparna Sharma said, “I last slept at my home two months ago. Since the other vendors are aged or disabled, only two of us have been staying on at night to guard all the shops since the thefts last year. The nights are colder now, but we do not have another option.”The women vendors across zones have spent money from their pockets to set up water-proof coverings over their shops for protection from rain and cold. They have also bought batteries and bulbs to light up their shops when it gets dark.The lack of washrooms remains a nagging problem. In Sector 62, the women request staff at the nearby Fortis Hospital to let them use the washrooms in the hospital. In other zones, women close their shops and walk long distances to find washrooms.For the women vendors who had hoped the initiative would make their lives easier, the shops have become “a cause of worry”. “The Noida Authority has also placed a vending zone opposite us, making it tougher to have customers,” said Shristi, another vendor at the Sector 62 pink vending zone.In the Sector 57 pink vending zone, only two women have been running businesses, while most shops lie vacant. Usha Devi (34) said, “The Authority has also created another vending zone just 50m away. We pay Rs 1,800 as maintenance, but since we are suffering losses now, we cannot pay that anymore.” Kanchan, who sells snacks near Usha, said, “Most employees working in offices in the industrial area stop at the other vending zone. It seems there is no point standing here waiting for customers all day. We had shops in a different place and would earn enough to feed our children, but these last two years have been difficult.”The Sector 37 pink vending zone lies vacant, with autos parked around it.Noida officials, however, said they will work to provide basic infrastructure and help the women with alternatives to locking their shops.