Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod (SP)

Kasargod, Feb 13: People believe that necessity is the mother of invention. Farmers come across tricky practical problems in their lives and many of them come out with novel innovations to address these problems.

A farmer from Perdala in Kasargod district who had been facing several problems, has found solutions to a number of them. His research has now made transportation of manure, agricultural produce etc., to and from the agricultural field an easy task.

Perdala village is comprised of hilly terrain with deep gorges in between. Most of the agricultural fields here are located on slopes. The farmers cultivate areca nut, coconut etc., around the Varada rivulet that flows through this village. For farmers it is a Herculean task to carry the product they grow to their homes. Because of steep terrain, transportation of areca nut and coconut poses a huge problem.

Because of the dearth of workers, their hiring costs are high and the farmers are finding it hard to afford them. Bheemesh from Perdala Minchinadka, who hails from a family that has been cultivating land traditionally, worked hard and with great efforts, built a ropeway trolley to move to either side of the rivulet.

Bheemesh's father, Minchinadka Krishna Bhat, owns farm land on both sides of the rivulet. He used to build a foot bridge by using areca nut logs every year to cross the rivulet. People used the same bridge to cross the rivulet and come back. People are wholly dependent on such things as schools in Udayagiri, Neerhalu and Kuntikan that are located on the other side, and the people have also to go there for their needs.

When the said bridge is not present, the people of the villages found it hard to cross the rivulet during the rainy season. People living on both sides of the rivulet had approached the Kerala government repeatedly seeking a permanent bridge for the rivulet. Bheemesh, who always was thinking of ways to address the above problem, during his visit to the Krishi Mela organizedby Campco Ltd at Puttur, got the idea of building a ropeway.

He spoke to Sunil B Lakkundi, who had served eight years as a lecturer in the mechanical department of Puttur Vivekananda College. As per his advice, Bheemesh started to build a ropeway. He got anti corrosipnpoles, rope and other things that are usually used for ships, from Bunder Mangaluru. He also got the trolley which looks like a cradle, made for the purpose. This facility is able to take about 250 kg of materials at a time to the other side of the rivulet. Two people can together get seated on the trolley and cross the rivulet.

This ropeway is made at a cost of about Rs 60,000 and nylon rope tied around the rotor wheels helps in moving the trolley both ways. Bheemesh uses the trolley for transporting harvest, manure etc. In the past the wooden bridge used to get washed away whenever the rivulet was flooded. Crossing the rivulet during the summer in the past was also very difficult as the water level remains high because of the embankments built by the people across the rivulet downstream. This ropeway has saved both money and time for the villagers.