Day 20 - Fire power

Before preparing the paddy land to be cultivated, the farmers try and remove the shrub along the bunds called the 'Niyara'. The 'Iluk' or 'Mana' is a common weed found in these areas and when we were preparing the paddy fields connected to the Pattiyawela wewa, the border of the last plot of paddy was covered in 'Mana'. The only way to get rid of this is to burn it according to the paddy farmers. That is what we did. Even with fire, it was a difficult plant to remove.