“Summer is the season for brisk sales. On most days, I am here till 9 p.m. but nowadays, I am winding up my work by 7 p.m. I shifted to the Warangal bypass two years ago. Sales, so far, have been good, due to the rise in temperatures over the last week as more and more people realize the health benefits of drinking fresh cane juice. Some fear that regular consumption of cane juice will cause them health problems. That’s not true at all. I have been selling cane juice for the past ten years and drink at least three to four glasses of juice a day; I haven’t been diagnosed with diabetes as yet.

I am from Hanamkonda and started my career selling cane juice as I was determined to be self-employed.

The canes come in a lorry from Kamareddy and Jagityal. I place an order when I need them and it arrives a day later. The canes are cleaned before they are used. I usually reach my stall by 8.00 a.m. to set things up. I charge Rs.10 and Rs. 20 per glass as per the quantity of juice and usually sell around 100 glasses of juice a day.

My clientele is varied. I have those who are in the city on holiday stopping by for a drink, and those who work in nearby offices and factories. Every sale I make, I count it as a blessing and it certainly pushes me to work hard, no matter how harsh the weather conditions are.”