India, Tamil Nadu, palm tree, sap harvesting, farmer, innovation, agriculture, safety, spiral staircase
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An Indian farmer has installed a spiral staircase around a tall palm tree to make harvesting sap safer and easier.thefederal+1
The farmer, identified as Dinakar from Salaiputhur village in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district, comes from a family that has worked with palmyra trees for generations. To reduce the risks of climbing and deal with a shortage of skilled palm climbers, he decided to build a staircase that wraps around a 55 foot tree near his home.
He invested about ₹60,000 to construct the spiral structure using iron rods. The staircase allows people to walk up the tree instead of using traditional climbing techniques that require strength, balance and years of practice.
According to Dinakar, the design makes the tree accessible not only to experienced climbers but also to elderly people, women and older children who help with the family business. He believes it will last for many years and improve productivity by allowing more frequent and safer trips up and down the tree.thefederal
Harvesting palm nectar, locally known as pathaneer, has always carried a risk of falls and injuries because of the height and smooth trunks of palmyra palms. By replacing rope and belt climbing with a solid staircase, the chances of accidents are greatly reduced while the work becomes less tiring.
Dinakar hopes his idea will help keep the traditional occupation alive at a time when younger people are moving away from palm work. He also believes similar staircases could be added to more trees in the area, making the job safer and more attractive for the next generation
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