A damaged salt-manufacturing unit in Ganjam. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, Oct. 23: Phailin has hit the century-old salt industry in Ganjam with two production societies that provide livelihood to nearly 10,000 farmers incurring losses to the tune of Rs 1 crore.

The salt fields situated on 1,000 acres of both the societies have been submerged. Of 2,000 metric tonnes of salt worth Rs 24 lakh of the Bahuda Salt Production and Sale Co-operative Society, about 400 metric tonnes worth Rs 4.80 lakh were washed away.

On the other hand, though farmers of the Humma-Binchannapalli Salt Production and Sale Co-operative Society stopped production since the past two years due to heavy losses and were looking forward to starting production from next year, Phailin has dashed their hopes.

Secretary of the Humma-Binchannapalli salt society Durjyodhan Reddy said: “There is a heavy siltation on reservoirs, condensers and crystallised bed. Two transformers in the area, about 25 electric poles, five platforms and pump sheds each as well as an iodisation godown have been ravaged. We need at least Rs 10,000 per acre to de-silt the salt fields and revive them. The government must help us in this regard.”

However, sources in the district industries centre office said they would take appropriate steps after receiving the damage report.

The total salt production in the state is 30,000 to 40,000 metric tonnes per year against the demand of three lakh metric tonnes for human consumption. The state has to import 2.60 lakh metric tonnes from other states per annum to meet its domestic demand, sources said.

The state has six salt-producing centres on a total area of more than 6,000 acres. Since production at Astarang (Puri) has ceased and is meagre in Balanga (Balasore), it is concentrated in Ganjam now.

Sources said the average annual production in Andhra Pradesh was 40 tonnes per acre and 70 tonnes in Gujarat. But here, it is only 18 tonnes and the state government is not taking serious initiatives to nourish the salt industry. Salt fields in Ganjam are not modernised, said Reddy.

“Those of us having electric motor pumps to lift the brine from the sea are charged on industrial rates. So, many of us are unable to pay the power tariff. More density in brine means more production, but sadly, our policymakers are quite indifferent. The cyclone has made things worse,” he said.