The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Vedaranyam salt units take a beating

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Vedaranyam salt units take a beating

By S. Ganesan

NAGAPATTINAM, JAN. 6. Even as the full extent of the damage caused by the tsunami is being gradually revealed and assessed, it is now apparent that the giant waves have completely broken the backbone of the coastal economy in Nagapattinam district.

The salt-manufacturing units of Vedaranyam, a major economic activity of the region, have not escaped the fury of the waves. Saltpans in a large area along the Vedaranyam coast have suffered extensive damage owing to inundation of seawater.

With the season just about to begin, the incursion of seawater on to the saltpans is likely to considerably delay the production. An estimated 2,000 acres of saltpans have been "badly affected" and over 25,000 tonnes of salt, both industrial grade and edible, have been washed away.

Saltpans (crystallisers) are spread over 11,000 acres along the coastline, including those of small, medium and large salt manufacturers. According to rough estimates, about two lakh tonnes of edible salt and over five lakh tonnes of industrial grade salt are produced annually in the region. Two major private companies, Chemplast Sanmar and Gujarat Heavy Chemicals, also have huge salt manufacturing facilities here.

The industry provides direct and indirect employment to over 10,000 people. Often, labourers from Tuticorin are hired during the peak season.

Many of the saltpans still remain inundated. Extensive damages have been caused to pump houses, reservoirs, condensers and brine pits in the units.

Normally, salt manufacturers would have started preparatory works for commencing production by now. The saltpans need to be stabilised, before seawater is pumped into them for evaporation and crystallisation of salt. "It's about time for us to have recovered "pon uppu" (the first recovery of salt, an auspicious occasion)," says A. Vedaratnam, grandson of Sardar Vedaratnam, the famous salt satyagrahi, and president of the Vedaranyam Salt Manufacturers and Merchants Association. Mr. Vedaratnam, who runs a large unit along with his brother A. Kediliappan, is himself one of the badly-affected manufacturers. Besides, the inundation of the saltpans in their 453-acre unit, a ridge has been washed away. The pumping house is also damaged. The losses suffered and the cost involved for restarting the unit alone are estimated to be around Rs. 1.47 crores.

Adversely affected

Hundreds of other small salt manufacturers have also been adversely affected. On an average, the preparation of the saltpans, prior to the manufacturing season, costs about Rs. 2,500 per acre. The manufacturers estimate that it would cost them 10 times more now as they have to pump out the water and remove the slush.

Salt production is likely to come down by at least 30 per cent this season, as the manufacturing process is expected to be delayed by over a month provided the Government extended them some compensation, say the manufacturers.

Since last year, the Department of Salt in the Union Ministry of Commerce stopped giving relief to manufacturers affected by natural calamities such as cyclones and instead asked them to go in for insurance cover. Mr. Vedaratnam, a member of the Central Advisory Board on Salt, says the members have now sought a meeting of the board to discuss the issue. The salt manufacturers have sought a compensation of Rs. 25,000 per acre.

The Superintendent of Salt, Cuddalore, H.K. Agarwal, is currently touring the area. Mr. Agarwal told The Hindu that the extent of the damage varied from unit to unit. Saltpans in about 2,000 acres have been badly affected with a production loss of about 60,000 tonnes, he said and conceded that the manufacturers would have to incur huge expenditure to restart production.

Mr. Agarwal is expected to submit a report to the Centre in the next few days.

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