Women salt workers in Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India, working in 50 degrees Celcius in the June heat of the saline desert!
According to the Gandhidham Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
"Salt Industry in Kutch district is one of the biggest industries. Gujarat Is producing about 70% of the total production of salt and Kutch district contributes about 40% of Gujarat's total production.
Salt is one the major and essential food items for human beings and an important raw material for various salt based industries like soda ash, Caustic Soda, Chlorine, Sodium Metal, Hydrochloric acid etc. Salt has some other important uses in fish curing, tanning of hides and skins, water softening, salting out of soap, ore dressing,, food preservation, washing power, dyes & intermediates, chemicals.
Thus, the growth potential always tends to increase to keep pace with the ever-increasing demands. The total demands per annum stands at about 125-130 lakh tones and is likely to be increased substantially in next couple of years.
The Kutch district is the largest producer of salt in Gujarat and in the country as well. This is due to its longest coastline, scanty rainfall, dry weather, fairly high temperature, high wind velocity, suitable soil conditions etc. These conditions are very ideal & favorable for salt production.
There are 893 salt works in Kutch, with an area of 82244 acres of land. The annual production of salt is about 40 lakh tones, which is 70% of its total production capacity. And thus, the capacities are under utilized. As many as 129 plants with an installed capacity of 3753 thousand tones of "iodized" salt per annum, have been set up in the Gandhidham area."
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