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| Sunday, 10 April 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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From ploughs to excavators Man has always had a close relationship with the land because most of his activities revolve round it. Cultivation of crops, construction of houses, fuel energy, minerals and water all have the earth as their base. But, how did the primitive man dig up the earth or land to carry out these numerous activities? Let's find out... In the early days primitive man did not have all the modern equipment we use today to dig up the earth for cultivation or any other work. What do you think the first piece of equipment man used to dig up the ground was? A simple wooden stick! It was later that the idea of a plough came into being. But, that too was not an advanced one like what we see today. It was a suitably cut forked branch which was dragged by the man himself. Only after man started to domesticate animals that animals such as donkeys, oxen and horses were used to carry out this work. With time, even the ploughs were improved and now iron blades are fixed on to them. With the invention of machinery, life became much easier for man. Various kinds of steel giants have been invented to carry out different tasks such as excavating, flattening the ground, smashing rock, laying roadways, dredging rivers and boring holes in mountain sides. These giant excavators, bulldozers and steel monsters are able to carry out the work of hundreds of men, all by themselves. Imagine what a load of hard work we would have had to do if not for these inventions? Instead of the ancient plough, many farmers use tractors and all types of farm machinery today to carry out their work. Special equipment with steel shovels of various shapes are used to dig and remove earth from one area to another. However, in poor countries where mechanical equipment is too costly to be used, the earth removed during excavation is carried away in small wicker baskets by people. In mining operations, some of the earth digging machinery used are really gigantic. For example, wheel excavators used in opencast mining are so huge that a man standing next to it is simply lost.When a rocky area has to be cleared, compressed air drills are used to make holes for the dynamite. The rock is blown to bits and then the bulldozers take over the rest of the work. For tunnelling too, huge steel monsters are used. These machines that bore great tunnels through mountains have steel bladed wheels which slowly move onwards into the heart of the mountain, sliding along special rails. When it comes to digging out river beds or the bottom of lakes, large machines known as dredgers are used. These are equipped with turning mechanical blades and have a conveyor belt for gravel and sand. So, today, due to new technology man no longer need depend on his own strength and wooden sticks to dig up the earth to carry out various development activities. He can turn to steel monsters for mechanical assistance. Learn more about the various types of modern machinery available to help us in our day-to-day work. |
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