Berhampur, Dec. 21: The century-old salt industry in Ganjam is facing a crisis.

Humma Salt Production and Sale Cooperative Society, which was registered in 1942 , had started salt production in 1946. The company has decided to halt salt production.

Many farmers have suffered losses and were unable to repay loans. They have started migrating to other states to look for work.

“The Chilka Development Authority had dredged the 10-km long canal from Prayag to the mouth of Rushikulya river mouth. This has deeply affected salt manufacturers. While production of salt in Ganjam was 24,000 metric tonnes per year in 1981, it came down to 500 metric tonnes last year,” said Pitambar Pradhan, former director and the present member of the society.

“The production has come down because of dilution of the Chilka and Rushikulya water, which we use as brine. The water has 0.5 degree density of saline. When we need brine with 25 degree density of saline, we are being provided brine with 0.5 degree density of saline through the Chilka canal,” said Pradhan.

“Construction of a sluice gate near Gokharkuda on Chilka canal to meet the situation and renovation of the Sahib Canal were to be carried out. This was decided at a meeting with the district administration on December 22, 2010. But nothing has been done,” said Pradhan.

“The Humma Salt Production and Sale Cooperative Society in Ganjam district decided to halt salt production. The decision was taken at a general body meeting on November 23.

“Nearly 1,000 out of 5,000 salt farmers have already migrated to Surat, Mumbai and other cities.

“The remaining 4,000 salt farmers are about to leave too,” said Trinath Mali, former president of the society.

“There is no provision for any direct financial assistance to these farmers in case of natural disaster,” Mali said.

Shyam Sunder Singh, a member of the society, said many farmers could not repay loans and the society was in bad shape.

“We are unable to give salary to the employees of the society for the past 14 months. Out of a total 28 employees, 19 have resigned,” said Singh.

The total production of the salt in Odisha is 50,000 tonnes per year against a demand of nearly 3.5lakh tonnes.

Ganjam produces nearly 90 per cent of the state’s salt requirement. There were six salt producing centres in Odisha — Surala, Sumandi, Goka and Ganjam (all in Ganjam district), Astarang in Puri and Balanga in Balasore. Salt production at Astarang has already been stopped. Production at Balanga has also slowed down.

Humma society, which started with 68 workers, used to provide livelihood to about 20,000 salt farmers a few decades ago.

The average annual production of salt in Andhra Pradesh is 40 tonnes per acre and 70 tons in Gujarat. In Orissa, the production is only 18 tonnes. The state government is not taking serious initiatives to promote the salt industry. Salt fields in Ganjam are not scientifically modernised to increase the production.

Salt farmers have electric motor for which are charged on industrial rate instead of the agricultural rate. This puts a huge burden on them.

Though states such as Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat have introduced bore wells in the salt fields to lift the brine, we are lagging behind, said a farmer.