Meet the men who keep Chennai residents cool during the summer

With the March heat cranking up and umbrellas popping up, Chennai streets are again alive with the colours of summer fruits. And had you been out and about, you could have heard the unmistakable whir of the sugar cane juice machine; locals and passers-by make quick stops for a chilled glass.

K. Nagaraj, who put up tea stalls in the past and spent time working farmland in Pudukkottai, shifts to selling sugar cane juice in Chennai once February is over. As the machine hums along, Mr. Nagaraj says the prime time for sugar cane juice has begun. From sunup to sundown, he is stacking, peeling, and grinding canes, keeping the machine running until early September.

He sources his sugar cane from parts of Andhra Pradesh and carefully stores them for the busy season ahead. Is this business enough to support his family? He answers with a knowing nod, “We do not pin our hopes on one stall as we do more than one job. Chilled sugar cane juice is a crowd favourite during the hot months, but once the rainy season is back, we look for other work.”

On the other hand, Anand Raj L. runs a sugar cane juice stall at the entrance of Anna Nagar Tower Park. He is in it for a long haul. “Even when it is the off season, you will find me here. I have even upgraded to a new stainless steel machine,” he says.

Quick to clear the pulp from the sidewalk after handing over the juice to customers, Mr. Anand adds, “I am the happiest here because it is my own business. Even during the monsoon, there are regular customers who stop by for a glass without ice. When it is heavily raining, I would not put up the stall, but I will be back the next day at the same spot outside the Tower Park entrance.” For the seller, the best part of his work is knowing that he is helping out the local farmers while doing his job.

But it is not all sunshine. Mr. Nagaraj has been using the same grinder for more than a decade. He says it often needs repairs, and technicians from Ambattur help him. And the biggest challenge is that the grinder can be tricky.

“The seller should not engage in conversations or get diverted while using the machine because one wrong move, you could hurt yourself,” he says. “But on a peak summer day, we can earn up, which makes the gruelling hours worth it.”