Monday, September 26 2005 11:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwahati: Poverty, ethnic and armed conflict in the North East Region, large networks of highways and a porous international border make young girls vulnerable to prostitution in Meghalaya, which has become a supply zone for trafficking in flesh trade.

A study conducted by Impulse NGO Network in Meghalaya found that economic impoverishment, being the cause and effect of ethnic and armed conflict in the region, resulted in major displacement of the people forcing children and young women to be vulnerable to physical and sexual exploitation.

IIM alumnus and President of Impulse NGO Network, Hasina Kharbhih, during her study found that highways were one of the main areas in carrying out the business of prostitution in Meghalaya, which does not even have any prominent red light area.

"The highways have turned into a network for trafficking with clients being mostly truck drivers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states, ferrying goods across the country," said Hasina whose NGO is campaigning against human trafficking and working for child rights.

The brothels functioned in the large network of highways, including NH 40-Jorabat, Shillong, Tamabil, NH 44-Shillong Jowai, NH 51-Tura, Dalu, NH 62-Dangma and Dakmara.

Although the highway brothels are a part of the unorganised sector, she said their modus operandi was pretty systematised with the girls picked up from one dropped at another along the National Highways.