AIDS threat looms large in 'safe' neighbourhoods

KOLKATA: The sex industry is spreading its tentacles like never before in Kolkata. It''s not only the so-called ''red-light areas'', sex workers - mostly women working alone - have invaded what would be considered safe, "respectable" residential neighbourhoods. And along with them comes the threat of AIDS.
A recent survey by TNS Mode - done under the aegis of DFID to map the prevalence of HIV - reveals a frightening increase in the number of sex workers who operate independently in the city.
No area is safe any longer - be it the pavement in front of Basanti Devi College in Gariahat or crowded places like the area around Ruby Hospital off EM Bypass in south Kolkata, Keshab Sen Street and Kailash Bose Street in north Kolkata, BD Market, Baishakhi in Salt Lake in the eastern fringes.
The survey was done in the state to map the risk factor of spread of HIV infection and to strengthen intervention programmes in areas which are generally not covered under the purview of the HIV/AIDS programme of the state government.
The absolute number of these flying sex workers touches 5,193. Over 260 women operate through the length of Rash Behari Avenue, 100 near Ruby Hospital, 45 in Moore Avenue, 30 in Ballygunj, 80 in Phool Bagan More in east Kolkata, 120 at Beadon Street-Hedua crossing, over 50 in Park Circus and as many as 30 in Lake Town (around Jaya cinema).
Even typically residential areas like Sinthi More, Kailash Bose Street, Surya Sen Street and Keshab Sen Street in north Kolkata, Padmapukur, Lake View, Bhowanipur, Picnic Garden and Jadavpur 8B bus stand in south Kolkata, Bagmari, Maniktala and Ultadanga in eastern part of the city show hundreds of seemingly innocent women making a fast buck as sex workers.
AIDS intervention programmes are targeted at known red-light areas (the number of commercial sex workers stands at 21,507), but activists find it difficult to manage the floating community of sex workers.
"We are facing a problem here but we are try-ing to devise a method to intervene in spread awareness in these areas too," said director state AIDS prevention and control society, Suresh Kumar.
"We are trying to target the areas where these women are reported to congregate, like Sealdah, Ultadanga, Ballygunj, Park Circus railway stations, truck terminals, port and major cross sections within the city. But we will have to spread our mission far and wide," Ku-mar said, adding, "We will also target various resorts and clubs on the outskirts."
Intervention activities in residential areas have their own difficulties. When a health centre for sex workers was opened at Ultandanga by Durbar Mahila Samanway Committee, it met with stiff resistance from local residents.
"They did not want to accept that such activities go on in their locality," said Milan Dutta of DMSC.