Modernity pulls the plug on 100-year-old mechanism
The Hindu
Kuttanad’s ‘petti and para’ are being replaced by 20-HP pumps for dewatering paddy fields
A.K. Kunjumon, a pump operator, is busy draining out the excess water from the 110-acre Kombankuzhy padasekharam (paddy field). He operates two different pumping mechanisms to dewater the field – ‘petti and para’ (pettiyum parayum), which uses indigenous technology and a 20-HP modern water-cooled pump.
“This one is a new addition,” says Mr. Kunjumon, referring to the 20-HP pump, which the padasekhara samithi installed after the 2018 great deluge. “The floods had exposed the limitations of petti and para. The new pump is draining floodwaters more quickly,” he adds.
‘Petti and para’, the traditional dewatering mechanism, which has been in use in Kuttanad for around 100 years has withstood the test of time so far. However, with recurring floods and technological advancement, its days seem to be numbered.
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