Annapurna Rice & General Mills

Being on Jind Road means there is always dust from the passing trucks. We are located right near the Aggarsain Charitable Hospital, which is a big landmark for anyone trying to find us. The mill is a loud place once the machines get going. There is a constant hum that vibrates through the floor. We spend most of the day handling big sacks of rice and other grains. My hands are usually covered in a fine white powder by noon. The roof is made of corrugated tin, so when it rains, you can barely hear yourself think. We’ve got a small area in the front where we keep the books and take calls, but most of the action is in the back. The machinery is old and needs a lot of oiling and attention to keep it running right. It gets very hot in the summer months, especially when the mill is at full capacity. We take breaks when we can, sitting on some of the filled bags near the doorway to catch a bit of a breeze. It’s not a clean or quiet job, but it’s what we do. We get farmers coming in with their harvests and it’s always a rush to get everything processed and weighed. Sometimes the scales act up and we have to fix them on the fly. It’s a busy life here and there’s always something that needs fixing or moving. There is no point in trying to keep things perfectly tidy.