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| Wednesday, 17 March 2004 |
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Vee bissa - the forerunner to a ferrocement paddy bin by Gamini G. Punchihewa The interesting article titled 'NERD's common man friendly technologies going abegging', that appeared in the Daily News of 5.2.2004 is really illuminating for reading with avidity.
It really gives novel insight in constructing this time honoured bissa into a more sophisticated type entailing technical values called - a ferrocement paddy bin. This novel artefact is the brainchild of the National Engineering Research and Development Centre based in Ekala coming under the purview of the Economic, Social Technology Ministry. Past glimpses Ancient Lanka became the forbearers not only for constructing medium and colossal irrigation tanks. But also those ancient hydraulic engineers had the prowess even in diverting minor and major rivers to feed the sprawling rice fields, when once upon a time old Lanka boasted herself as a great granary of the East, as well! In the same way our farming technologies of yesteryear had evolved a paddy bin called vee bissa for storing their paddy harvests. Such a vee bissa was constructed with wooden sticks plastered with clay having a roof thatched with either paddy straw or illuk grass. It stood on an elevated wooden platform, occupying the farmer's own household compound. Forging ahead The NERD with its highly modernised technological skills has oriented itself in coming to the rescue of small scale entrepreneurs in mundane fields of agricultural-industrial ventures for their own enhancement in developing their respective business enterprises with economic viability. The innovation of this nascent technological arteface - a ferrocement paddy bin by the NERD has laid a corner stone for the multitudes of farming communities, at grass roots level, owning such vee bissas. Vee bissa's structural components... While working as a medical officer, Mahaweli Centre, Colombo from 1987-92, I had the occasions on my official tours around the Mahaweli Systems in Rajarata, like Nochchiyagama, Thambuthegama, Kalawewa where such typical vee bissas were found. My fourth publication, 'The Great Sandy River of History and Legend' (2001 described some accounts of such bissas that were found in farming areas like Kalawewa, Thambuthegama. Hence please permit me to quote from this book (Chapter 33 - pages 244-246) about these vee bissas: "As the Mahaweli Systems mostly nestle in the time honoured kingdom of Rajarata, still there remains those relics, the traditional paddy store called vee bissa. I had come across such vestiges of these traditional vee bissas - where farmers stored their paddy in and around the remote villages sunk in Nochchiyagama, Tambuttegama and Kalawewa areas. Unlike the Attuwa which is another traditional ancient contraption to store the paddy and other grain, constructed inside the house, this vee bissa is constructed outside the house in its own premises. Here is the way and raw materials used in the construction of this vee bissa as told to me by the purana villagers whom I had met." "Sticks are taken from a forest plant called Kuratiya and the Eraminiya vel (creeper). These vines of the Eraminiya are heated over the fire and used as a hemp or string to tie the frame of vee bissa. The vel or creeper so hearted are kept for five days. The heated vine or vel is now made into strings. This processing is done by weaving the strings around coconut palms to make them firm. The height of the vee bissa is about five to six feet. The frame of the vee bissa is made out of sticks taken from the jungle plant called kuratiya, chunks of mud are inserted into the spaces of the wooden frame made out of the sticks of Kuratiya. The roof is thatched with illuk. It takes about twenty days to complete a vee bissa. The base of the vee bissa is made of planks and the roof is flexible. It is tied by a string which is held by a strong pole." "When the farmer wants to open the vee bissa, he has only to climb the ladder or plank placed across the vee bissa. Then with the help of the pole and string, he raises the roof. For this purpose two persons are needed. There are no such attacks from vermin like rats, ants, serpents. The farmer carriers a basket or maluwa filled with paddy, it is emptied inside the vee bissa. Then if he wants to take the paddy that has been stored, he has only to raise the roof and put the malla inside and take the paddy that he needs. A vee bissa last for about 20 years. In a normal vee bissa about sixty bushels of paddy could be stored. Bigger ones could hold about 100 bushels even." Banking loans? The structural complex of this new replacement - ferrocement paddy bin looks almost the same as that of the traditional vee bissa (as seen in the photograph reproduced in the article in question). The ladder another component of this old vee bissa is also part and parcel of the ferrocement paddy bin. The article under reference, has spotlighted the plight of the farmers to construct this new ferrocement paddy bin owing to financial straits, and that they are not economically viable to construct them on their own. It has suggested that a loan scheme be facilitated through the state and commercial banks to obtain banking loans for them. In this instance, I believe that the NERD could come to the farmers' rescue in collaborating with the management of the banking institutions, both the state and private to get a loan scheme implemented smoothly. |
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