Sri Balasubramani Modern Rice Mill

The mill at No 11A is always noisy, but that’s just how it is for us here in Padianallur Colony. Sri Balasubramani Modern Rice Mill has been part of this street for a long time now. There is always dust in the air and the heavy smell of grain in the heat. We start early, usually before the sun is even fully up, to get the machines going for the day. The neighbors in the colony are mostly used to the sound by now, though it can be loud. It’s a busy place with trucks coming in and out of the narrow road all day. Sometimes the loading takes a lot longer than we expect, and everything gets backed up at the gate. We don't have a big fancy office to show off, just a small room where we keep the records and the phone. Most of the guys here have been working the machines for many years. It’s hard work, especially when it gets really hot in the middle of the day. The metal roof gets very warm in the summer. We keep a few old fans going, but they mostly just move the warm air around the room. People from the colony often stop by to talk or check on how things are going. It’s just a regular rice mill, nothing too modern despite what the name says. We try to keep the place tidy, but with rice coming through all day, there’s always a bit of a mess on the floor. It feels like a small community here at 11A.