After China and the USA, with an average annual production of about 18 million tonnes, India is the third largest salt producing country in the world. Of the total salt production of 260 million tonnes in the world, China accounts for 60 million tonnes and the US for 46 million tonnes. About 60 per cent of the global salt output is consumed by chemical industry, while 20 per cent goes for edible purposes and melting ice.
Salt is one of the essential items of human consumption. Current annual requirement of salt in India is estimated to be 6 million tonnes for edible use (including requirement of cattle) and 7 million tonnes for industrial use. Caustic soda, soda ash, chlorine, etc., are the major salt-based industries. Besides, about 1.5 million tonnes of salt is exported every year. The industry significantly earns foreign exchange to India. Private sector plays a dominant role contributing over 97% of the salt production, while the public sector contributes the rest. Co-operative sector contributes about 7% whereas the small-scale sector (less than 10 acres) accounts for nearly 30% of the total salt production in the country. Salt is Produced mainly in 6 states namely Gujarat, Rasasthan, Tamilnadu, Andrapradesh, Orissa and Karnataga.
Gujarat is the largest salt producing state in the country. Tamilnadu is the third largest salt producing state (till previous year Tamilnadu was the second largest). Tamilnadu contributes 30-35% of India's
The salt laborers are hard working, but still suffer in bad working and living conditions. In most cases, their basic identity of being a salt worker itself is denied. The primary stakeholder, the state, does not have a conscious approach to the suffering inflicted upon the salt workers. An assessment made by the Indian government’s Salt Commission on the livelihood conditions of Saltpan workers throughout the country states, “the salt workers are the poorest of the poor in the country”. In spite of all these findings, no specific step has been taken on their behalf so far. However, laborers employed by the private sector, public Sector, cooperatives are comparatively in a better position.
Due to various reasons, unfortunately, the condition of salt workers is still dismal in the country. Because of an intensive civil society intervention, on the direction of the High Court, Gujarat Government had formed a high-level empowerment committee for salt workers and had undertaken various meaningful efforts to improve the status of salt workers in Gujarat. Whereas, in other states, nothing has been significantly initiated.
Underlying Issues of small-scale salt workers in India
-Poor and fluctuating household income due to seasonality and calamities.
-Inadequate skills, inadequate access to state resources (including access to credit), no representation in decision making groups, Voiceless and somehow bonded working nature.
-Very poor working condition (no proper drinking water, no toilet facility, no shed for rest, no lights, no proper road, no first aid or health care facility, health hazards due to excessive heat in saltpan and no livelihood risk coverage)
-Poor living condition (living mostly in thatched shelters, poor sanitation, no proper drinking water, poor transport access, electricity etc.)
-Poor literacy level (Girl child school drop outs at 5th to 6th standard is very high among salt worker children. Because the women salt laborers, as they go to saltpans in very early (2-3am), the elder girl child is taking care of younger children, cooking and doing household works.
-Lack of awareness of their rights and inability to access government’s social safety net programs coupled with lack of appropriate forum and bargaining power.
-No proper information about salt laborers in the state, no priority to the salt workers in the policies and programs and etc.
Possible causes:
1. No collective strength or bargaining power
2. No or less skill
3. No or less proper state control on the industry
4. Discrimination on the basis of caste / gender, systematic hiding and denial of rights
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