Why govt compensation continues to elude Gujarat's poor salt workers hit hard by floods

However, significantly, there was no mention of disaster relief for the salt workers or agariyas of the state in the notification issued by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) on September 15.

Though the salt workers have suffered huge losses this time, they are not entitled to any government compensation.

Salt washed away

Dhanabhai Koli, a salt farmer, told The Federal, “In Kharagoda alone situated in the Little Rann of Kutch, around 22 kilometers of salt fields have been washed away in the heavy rains. This is usually the time of the year, we are ready to harvest Karkachh, also known as poda, a powdery variety of salt that can be produced every two months.”

Further, talking about the calamity that has struck him, he recounted, “I returned home on September 8 this year. By then, the three patas (pans) I own were submerged in around 2 feet water. Now, I’ve no option but to wait for the water to recede and begin the process all over again for the next season,” added Koli, who lives in Patdi village in Surendranagar.

Kamsibhai Rathod manufactures vadagara, a variety of salt that is made up of large crystals and takes eight months to harvest, in Gorsali village in Great Rann. He pointed out, “This is not the first time that untimely monsoon has damaged salt pans. But we’ve never ever received any help from the government. When we lose our income for one entire season, we (agariyas) then have no other option than to apply for loans to work in the next season. It takes years to repay the loan and the interest.”

“At least 50 kilometers of salt fields were damaged due to heavy rains last week forcing 80 families of agariyas to return with no earnings. Badhu mithu dhovai gai che (the entire salt was washed away),” added Rathod, who hails from Surendranagar.

Passing the buck

What is the reason salt workers seem to be overlooked for compensation during natural disasters?

Also read: How solar pumps lit up the lives of salt farmers in Gujarat

Firstly, salt workers are not recognised as agrarian workers and come under the jurisdiction of the mining department since salt making falls under mining.

However, the commissioner of geology and mining is not responsible for their welfare. Instead, their welfare is the responsibility of the Salt Commissioner, who heads the Gujarat Regional Advisory Board for Salt (GRABS). This board, which comes under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the ministry of commerce and industry, has to manage their welfare schemes, along with controlling and regulating the manufacturing, supply and distribution of salt, functions.

Chetan S Kamdar, a GRABS member told The Federal that GRABS is indeed responsible for implementing welfare schemes for salt workers and their families through the year. “It is our department that oversees welfare schemes like ensuring their children get education, the women of the community have access to proper medical facilities during pregnancy. We also are in charge of the overall health of the community,” Kamdar admitted.

However, he added that their department “doesn’t execute the schemes on ground”.

“We assist the Gujarat Rural Welfare Workers Board (under the labour skill development and employment ministry) to bring the benefits of the scheme to the salt workers,” he explained, adding that "disaster relief for the salt workers does not come under our purview".

GSDMA role

Meanwhile, the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), which oversees disaster response, rehabilitation, and compensation in the state, appears to have specific provisions in place to support salt workers affected by natural calamities.

Alok Kumar, the CEO of GSDMA told The Federal that GSDMA lacks any clear compensation guidelines for the salt workers in case of any losses incurred due to a natural disaster.

“Although there is provision for the Chief Minister to make an exception. After Cyclone Tauktae in 2021, the then late Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had announced a compensation of Rs 3,000 per acre for salt farmers,” he pointed out.

Further, he explained that after they conduct survey of losses incurred after a natural disaster and divide it in sectors such as agrarian, livestock, residential, fisheries etc., the report is then forwarded to the Relief Commissioner who disperses compensation as per provisions allotted for each sector.

Ambiguity

However, he said, there is “ambiguity” over the classification of the salt workers. While salt production is considered as mining, the welfare schemes for the salt workers are handled by both the DPIIT and Gujarat Rural Welfare Workers Board, he added

“As a result, salt workers are neither classified as farmers, traders or labourers under the GSDMA,” said Kumar.

Also read: Explained: What is the row over transfer of salt pan land for Dharavi project?

Notably, the salt workers of Gujarat are responsible for manufacturing about 75 to 80 per cent of the total 300 lakh tonne (average) salt produced in India. However, despite several representations over the years, the BJP-ruled government has not formulated a policy for disaster relief for this community.

Left out in the cold

Harinesh Pandya is the managing trustee of the Agariya Heet-Rakshak Manch, a Gujarat-based organisation that works for the salt workers.

According to Pandya, the salt workers are victims of administrative gaps and lack of clear policies in the state. “Every time the GSDMA announces compensation losses due to flood or heavy rains, the salt workers are left out. Despite incurring huge losses multiple times, they have not received any help at all post a natural disaster. Under the GSDMA, there are established guidelines for compensating losses in agriculture, livestock, homes and even for industries except for the salt workers,” stressed Pandya.

Further, he said that around 5,000 agariya families from Boru, Masal and Madhavpur villages of Santalpur taluka in Patan, Suigam in Vav- Tharad district, Great Rann in Dhordo in Bhuj, Kutch and Little Rann in Surendrangar, have lost their entire year’s produce to the recent floods.

“The agariyas neither have money to survive nor to prepare for the next season that begins in three or four months. They have to take a loan on interest as banks do not give loans to them. Despite hundreds of years of salt farming the agariyas and their families don’t own the land on which they manufacture salt,” added Pandya.

Mining salt

Traditionally, the agariyas migrate to the Little Rann of Kutch that is spread between Kutch, Patan, Morbi and Surendranagar districts between September and October every year.

For eight months, the salt workers live in the dessert along with their families only to return home in the month of April or May.

Once the agariyas set up their temporary huts, they begin by digging into the soil to extract brine – salt-rich water – which is first poured into smaller pans to increase its concentration. After this initial process, the brine is moved to larger salt pans, where it’s left to evaporate under the sun.

As the water disappears, salt crystals begin to form. These are then carefully harvested and washed to remove impurities before being sold in the market.