Perspective

 Agriculture is considered the backbone of India’s economy. Over the years, agricultural practices have changed a lot. The intervention of mechanization in farming has played a huge role in improving its efficiency and boosting productivity. Tractors are the best example of this.

Photo by Ragu Raja: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-sitting-on-a-red-tractor-11612188/

Thanks to their versatile functioning, tractors are rapidly becoming a much sought-after choice among farmers. Be it preparing the field, harvesting the crop, or transporting the goods, a tractor comes in handy for all of them. It is not only time-efficient but also saves labor. The only person working with a tractor is its driver. But is the tractor a boon for the driver? From a financial, time-saving, and efficiency perspective, yes, but from a health perspective, if you see it, then maybe not so. This perspective is often overlooked as compared to other, more agreeable ones. But we should not throw away the baby along with the bathwater now, should we? While looking at the bigger picture of progress and efficiency, let's not ignore the seemingly tiny picture of the drivers’ health, which indirectly affects productivity!

Photo from the internet.

And that’s exactly why, dear peeps, I thought of bringing this perspective to your attention. I met 40 experienced (with experience ranging from 3 to 24 years) drivers and asked them some questions about the health problems they face while driving a tractor. I’m sure you might have suspected the answers. Let me confirm them for you.

About 52% of them had low back pain along with other problems. This complaint was common among drivers who had driven tractors for 10 years or more. Another significant health concern reported by 25% of drivers was that of spine-related problems, which included slipped discs and pain in the lumbar vertebrae. A consequence of the same—numbness of the lower limbs caused by nerve compression—was also reported by some. 10% had knee pain that they said was caused by operating the clutch. 27% of the drivers who used tractors for harvesting faced problems of neck pain. Complaints of back pain (25%), body aches (12%), and numbness of the hands (5%) were also reported. A problem of difficulty breathing due to the smoke and dust while driving was also found. 15% of subjects had no complaints of pain despite driving for 8–10 years or more. A few (5%) cases of surgery (wrist and spine) were found. According to the drivers, there was reduced or no pain after the surgery.

Now you might wonder what the solution to these problems is. According to the drivers, it's taking painkillers, visiting the doctor, stopping, or reducing driving. The first two are the conventional solutions but see the last one. This is what I was referring to when I talked about the tiny picture that affects productivity.

If you ask me the solution, I would say (in a doctor's tone ;p) “Treat the basic cause." The basic cause here is the tractor. Now, how do you treat a tractor? Simple, by fixing it! Lol. On a serious note, though, tractors should be made a bit more user-friendly. Some alterations, like fewer vibrations, smoother working, and a better shock absorption system, that will help minimize the health problems will work wonders. The clutch problem could be fixed. Smoke emissions from a tractor can be reduced.

What about the existing tractors with none of these alterations? That’s your next question, right? To this, I would say (in a physiotherapist's tone ;p) that if we can't fix the tractors, we educate the driver! About proper posture while driving, seat adjustment suitable for their height (ergonomics), exercise, and relaxation.

In a field like agriculture, the combined effort of both humans and machines is beneficial, but not at the expense of health. Let's not forget that machines were designed to make human life easier. The smooth functioning of both the tractor and its driver is important for productivity.

Photo by Mark Stebnicki: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-riding-red-tractor-on-field-2252618/

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Let me know what you think about this blog in the comments!

For any suggestions/queries/ideas/inquires, connect with me on- 

IG: @prachi._who

@niche_of_expressions

Email: thisisprachi03@gmail.com 

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Thankyou!

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P.S. : mages used in the blog are from the internet, i dont own them.