C Shivakumar/ ENS
Chennai:
Salt
production in the state has nose-dived due to acquisition of salt lands
for industrial purposes, according to a study ‘Working and Living
Conditions of Salt Pan Workers in Tamil Nadu’.
Saltpans
are slowly vanishing from the coastline and are replaced by power
plants, special economic zones, harbours and various other industries.
“The acquisition of saltpans for development projects should be stopped
or else it will affect the salt production besides the basic existence
of an estimated 50,000 workers across the state,” says R Geetha, the
co-ordinator of National Campaign for Unorganised Workers.
Interestingly,
both government and private lands are used in salt production. There
are no clear records of salt production lands in Tamil Nadu and it is
estimated that about 60,000 acres are under production. Out of which
more than 19,000 acres are Central Government owned, making Tamil Nadu
as one of the biggest government owned land under salt production.
But
then the state, which ranked second for salt production in the country,
is slowly losing its stranglehold as salt production has dipped from
604 lakh tonnes in 2006 to 508 lakh tonnes till 2009. Interestingly, even the common salt production fell as there was only 16.52 lakh tonnes production in 2008-2009 as against the 20.50 lakh tonnes production in 2006-2007, according to the study quoting government data.
When Express contacted Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation officials, they did not respond.
The
acquisition of saltpans for development projects has not only affected
the production but also the workers. In Tuticorin, more than 20
development projects, including three power plants, are being lined up
near the coastal areas and this will hit about 10,000 workers, says
Krishnamurthy, the district secretary of Tamil Nadu Manual Workers
Union.
“In
Ennore, over 3,000 acres of salt lands have been handed to the state
government for thermal power station and special economic zones
resulting in loss of livelihoods of salt workers,” the study added.
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