NOTE - WORTHY, IT IS SALT
NOTE - WORTHY, IT IS SALT NOT - WORTHY - IT'S LABOUR By Sudarshan Chhotoray Due to ban on sale and manufacture of common salt Govt., more than one lakh salt artisans of Orissa are living in uncertain future. The ban which was first effected throughout the country by Union Govt. on 13th November 1991, to prevent iodine deficiency disorders, the industry had to face the wrath and scrutiny of successive Govt. Both at Center and State. Thus the production has gone down and sufferings of poor salt workers have worsened.

Though due to pressure from various quarters, union Govt. had relaxed the ban policy on 13th September 2000. Orissa Govt. promulgated the ban again on 18th September 2000, saying to check infiltration of common salt, and in the name of goiter control. During the ban period, the industry had closed down it's operations; as a result of which thousands of salt artisans rendered jobless, findings no alternative way of livelihood, they have migrated in large numbers to cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Surat to work in construction and Textile sector, salt works which provides them six months employment during January to June every year, has came to the close scrutiny of State Govt. following the faulty ban policy, says Abhiram Behera, trade Union Leader, According to him it only services the interest of Big iodized salt manufacturers and multinational companies, they are in constant lobby with State and Central Govt. to effect the ban. Mr. Behera further, pointed out that, the owners of Orissa's major salt pan land, which they have got through license from Central Govt. are taking advantage from Govt's faulty policy, thereby demanding more subsides and tax relaxations, so that they can hood wink both salt artisans and State Govt. Apart from running the Industry they have closed down the operation and thus poor salt workers suffered a lot.

In the other hand, Orissa, which has gifted by nature a 480 KM. Long coastline, has a vast potential for salt production. Out of 6064.238 acres of land available for salt production only 1944 acres have been utilized. But due to climatic advertise and owing to the ban on sale and manufacture of common salt, salt production in Orissa is staggering between 30 to 40 thousand M.T. per annum, as against the annual requirement of 3 lakh M.T. for both human and industrial consumption. It depends on neighboring AP, besides TN and Gujrat for its requirements. However in the year 2002 the state has produced only 4000 M.T. of salt, though, it could be increased to the tune of 1,50,000 M.T. per annum, said Mr. K. Duryodhan Reddy, Secretary Humma & Binchanapali salt manufacture and sales co-operative society, Mr. Reddy further explained there need a coordinated approach between society, Mr. Reddy further explained there need a coordinated approach between state and Central Govt. to revive this age old industry, Govt. should take care of increasing power

Tariff, salutation of brine supply channels, low density brine hydrological survey for procuring high density brine, infiltration of salt from other states, besides the great hardships of marketing.

If improved scientific methods are adopted apart from bringing more land available for salt production, Orissa can compete with others states both qualititatively and quantitatively, besides fulfilling its own requirements, argues a senior state Govt. official. Of Late, State Govt. has identified about 6000 acres of land to develop for salt production, which have to be leased out to two private farms, besides this, A project amounting Rs. 25 lakhs to remove salutation from brine supply channels is pending with Central Govt. According to Mr. K. C. Panda, special officer, state Handicrafts and cottage industry dept. State Govt. has left no stone unturned to revive this sick industry this year.

We have restored electric supply to the salt works, constructed a sluice gate with the low investment of 24 lakes to check overflow of flood water with the support from salt dept. Apart from these, to improve the salt production is state we are exploring utilization of Ground waters possibilities by constructing Bore well. Mr. Panda, further alleged that Chloraalkalye industries in the state are the biggest defaulters, who are not paying regular dues, that's why this small-scale industry suffers setback to improve salt production. Salt is generally produced in Orissa through traditional and age old methods of evaporation of sea brine in solubility and crystallization stage it is to be collected from salt fields, in which laborers have to work hard to complete the earthen work and diverting channel's of sea water for salt fields. During British in some areas of Balasore District, labor class were involved in producing salt by "PUNGA PROCESS" taking advantage of mushrooming growth of "Bani" Forest, the trees were used for firewood purpose and brine was concentrated in earthen pots, to crystallize sodium chloride (NACL) and such practice still prevails in remote areas of coastal districts.

If revive this old lustrous salt industry, which had left its foot print in the memory of millions and commemorate its contribution in LABANA SATYAGRAH, like Charakha and Aarata salt was a symbol of our freedom movement, on which Gandhi launched historic "DandiMarch" on 12th March 1930, against British policy of import salt and levy tax on Indians, the towering pillars still existing at 'EARAM' and status of great leaders installed at 'EANCHUDI' would provide a flashback of the glorious past and and the blood shed history. The state has to follow Gandhi policy of developing small scale and cottage industry, which is with millions of rural artisans, still struggling to fulfill their both ends meets. Even after, 56 years of independence the never-ending sorrow of salt artisans of Orissa is not changing. They are still exploited by middlemen. A section of Business Community still monopolizes Orissa's salt manufacturer and trade, like Britishers. Since the advent of Britishers in India. They had taken possession of Orissa and its salt industry in the year 1803 and organized the industry by introducing monopoly system.

The Britishers lived and enjoyed their tenure in on this chief power commodity which fetched them huge amount of Revenue and interestingly the word 'Salary' happens to have been derived from 'salt' since laborers during British rule were paid their wages by salt. Since then the industry has not shown much progress due to existence of same and old British administrative system. Central Govt. is leasing out salt lands to a section of Business Community traditional in long term basis, they in turn are engaging traditional salt artisan families with their old wage structure agreement by violating all labour laws. Salt artisans are not getting pension, ESI, Provident Fund, Bonus and Gratuity even their wages is below minimum wages fixed by State Govt. says Biranchi Narayan Swain, a salt worker of Niladri Pur village. To produce every 60 bags of salt (the packed gunny bag weights 75 kg), they are getting only Rs. 350 from licenses. In an acres of land, one can earn only Rs. 3000 in a Six month time.

But the salt artisans, those who are working with co-operative system. They are getting slightly few more rupees. The calculations available with Humma & Binchanapalli salt society reveals, in an average 213 Mondays are required in a season for salt production in an unit having 2,5 acres. The average production of salt from 2.5 acres land is 50 M.T. or 666 bags (one gunny bag wets 75 kg). As per the prevalent wage rate, one salt worker gets Rs. 770/- per one 'GADISA' (one GADISA - 60 bags : one bag = 75 kg of salt. So, for the production of 666 bags the salt workers gets Rs. 8,555. In addition to this there is provision of Rs. 150/- for silt clearance and an excreta of Rs. 600/- per unit per annum. Therefore the total amount is Rs 9305/- on this basis the wage rate per laborer per day will be (Rs. 9305/213) = Rs. 43/-. It is half of the amount generally given to an unskilled labor, as per Govt. minimum wages fixation. Reacting to the calculation, S. Rabindra Nath Acharya, a salt artisan farm Mayurpada village, says, "actually more man days are required to finish primary earth work, during November and December every year, and laborers often have to work and watch round the clock to lift water (Sea Brine) from channels".

Since major licenses and members of co-operative organizations, have reached in agreements with labourers to work on contract wage basis, since British days, which is renewed every year. There is a limited scope for laborers to get more benefits. They have no other way since then, but to continue to work with limited wage, as and have been practiced by their for furthers. Most of salt workers spent their rainy and winter season in working as migrant laborer in different parts of the country, not with standing these facts, salt industry is a labor intensive industry, in orissa. Starting from primary earth work to scrapping, weighting, bagging, loading, unloading, transporting and stocking labourers are required for different operations, when from salt fields it reaches to retailer to find its way to the ultimate consumers. But it is the duty of state Govt., to provide necessary incentive and benefits to workers to increase salt production both qualitatively and quantitatively, says tankadhar parida, who has studied the plight of salt farmers in orissa. According to mr parida, in orissa, labourers in salt work are paid omn contract basis, that is known as kudivaram system in this system the licensee fixes certain amount of wage for a particular work and asks the laborers to accomplish the task within that amount of wage.

The labourers try to complete the work as early as possible so that they can take up other works and thus earn more wages. In ganjam and humma region most of the farmers use family labourers. It is pity to note that salt artisans are branded as labour contractors, says Dilip chhotoray, secretary Ganjam dist salt workers union though, they are engaged in all production related works, starting from primary earth work to chanellising sea brine, to collection of salt from the field to shifting it to open godown. They are more than factory labourers than the contract labour, therefore all labour laws should be applicable for them says mr chhotoray. Though, Orissa in not self sufficient in salt production, the State is not ignored in the universal salt iodisation programme. Survey on IDD {iodine defficiency disorders} reveals 19% and 37% of people in Orissa's Puri and Sundargarh districts are affected by goiter and other IDD related diseases. The study further says, out of 30 districts 6 are endemic to IDD. But the state has promulgated the ban on sale of common salt to the whole state. It is quit disastrous alleges, Sarat Panda, a small time manufacturer. While countering this allegation a senior salt dept. official says, the term common salt should not be linked up with the cause of goiter. The iodine after fortification, salt only acts as media to carry iodine.

The iodine deficiency is caused due to less intake of iodine. The problem is aggravated by environmental factors such as accelerated deforestation and soil erosion. Unlike nutrients such as iron, calcium or the vitamins. Iodine does not occur naturally in specific foods, rather it is present in the soil and is imbibed through foods grown on that soil. The ideal situation is where the daily needs of iodine deficient regions can never provide enough iodine deficient IDD can not be eliminated by changing dietary habits or eating certain kinds of food grown in that area. The correction has to be achieved by supplying iodine through an external source. This can be done by fortifying commonly consumed food with iodine and salt has been accepted as the most suitable medium. The IDD have come to be viewed as a major public health problem on a global level. Prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) assembly to dissolve to eliminate IDD's by 2000 A.D. India was a signatory to that resolution.

Although other developed countries like US, Britain have imposed ban, since couple of decades back keeping in view, the tragic consequences of iodine deficiency disorders, the scheme formulated was dietary supplementation of population with iodine through fortification of common salt is only a mass in - take item. Today 70 percent of the house holds in India have access to iodised salt. According to health experts an adult person needs at least 150 micrograms of iodised salt daily. To iodise one kg salt, one has to spent only 10 paise. It is estimated that 200 million people in India are at risk of iodine deficiency disorders. At the micro level the salt producing areas of India are located primarily in the micro level the salt producing areas of India are located primarily in the State of Gujurat, Tamilnadu, Rajastan, Andhrapradesh, Maharastra, Orissa, Karnatak and West Bengal. Currently the production of salt in the country is 13.5 million tones. The target for iodisation is 5.2 million Tones. Production of iodised salt, which was less than 0.3 million tones in 1983 - 84, increased to 4.5 million Tones in 2000.

There are about 930 salt iodisation units in the country with an installed capacity of 14 million tones per annum. In Orissa there are about 8 units, with capacity of 50 tonnes. With the capacity to iodise being 6.6 million tones, 30 percent of the salt is produced by the non - licensed sector - overall the private sector handles 94% of salt iodisation with the Public sector handling a miniscule 6%. With the campaign and Govt. initiatives to ensure universal iodisation of salt is gaining momentum, there by effecting prohibition on manufacture and sale of common salt, poor salt artisans are paying price with no fault of theirs, as the salt works collapsed in different regions due to non lies vast potential to increase salt production and making this industry a more labour intensive one. Salt artisans of Orissa, who have been engaged in this trade, since the early British days, are still fighting to abolish contract labour system and to get ownership of salt producing land, but successive Govt. have no other alternative job available for them during the salt producing session i.e. from December to June every year, they have adopted the practice of working with limited wage.





MOEF’S TOKEN CONSULTATION TO DETERMINE THE LIVELIHOOD OF TEN MILLION FISHWORKERS AND CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES

Fish workers in India face another episode of betrayal from the Ministry of environment and Forest when fish workers across the world with support of some well-wishers celebrate Fishers Day on 21 November. The Coastal Zone Management notification, which has already faced widespread criticism and resistance from fisherman communities and civil society organizations, is going to be discussed for time on 23 November 2007 in Mumbai. Unfortunately, the most important constituency, the fishworkers, will be largely absent from thus consultation. The new notification, due to its non-recognition of the traditional and customary rights of fish workers, was totally rejected by the fishing community.

Fishworkers and civil society organisations called the attention of the PMO, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Environment and Forest for engaging in a consultation with fish workers when the draft notification reached the hands of fishworkers groups though unofficial sources. However, the Ministry of Environment and Forest refused to engage in any dialogue with fish workers or related civil society organizations and maintained the position that they had not prepared such a notification. This misleading information was even given in response to an RTI application filed by a consumer group in Chennai. Though the proposed meeting in Mumbai on 23 November is an attempt by the MoEF to demonstrate willingness to a consultative process, none of the fish workers organisations have received invitation on time and none of the civil society organisations, which are directly involved with the issue were invited.

“The letter of invitation for this meeting is dated 5th October 2007 but it has been posted to one of the invitees on 13th November. There is a list of 86 invitees but till 19th November we found only 4 persons who received it just one or two days back,” said, Harekrishna Debnath, Convener, National Coastal Protection Campaign and Chairperson, national Fish workers Forum.

Debanath further added, “Looking at the composition of the invitees it appears that this meeting is attempted to look like a national event. But there is no body from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Gujarat among the invitees. Number of invitees from Maharastra, Karnataka, Orissa, West Bengal and Goa are just nominal. We the OTFWU in Orissa listen from outsiders that we are invited, but we have not yet received the invitation. Many well known national and regional level NGOs and CBOs did not find any place here. How can there be a comprehensive reflection of opinion when some coastal states are totally absent? To discuss an issue that governs the livelihoods of 10 million fishworkers, the MoEF could easily organize such meet at an appropriate venue in all coastal states and UTs”

The proposed new Coastal Zone Management Programme wil replace the CRZ notification of 1991 and will pave way for development projects such as industrial estates, mining sites, exclusive economic zones, tourism projects and ports in the notified areas, tourist resorts, mining and similar activities in large areas of the coastal zone. It would lead to the displacement of fishing communities from their habitats and the areas they have traditionally used.

With the new Notification, all violations that have taken place since 1991 under the CRZ Notification, mainly by commercial interests with severe implications for the social and ecological integrity of the concession top commercial interests that have blatantly violated the provisions of the earlier Notification.

The very existence and future of fishing and other natural-resource dependent communities is linked to the health of the coastal ecosystem. Effective protection of coastal habitats and regulation of activity in the coastal zone is very much in the interests of coastal communities, and fishing communities have taken several initiatives to protect coastal habitats and resources.

The fishing community, other coastal communities and their supporters demonstrated total rejection of this non-participatory, undemocratic and whimsical actions of the MoEF through massive protest along the entire coastline of the country and demanded adequate consultation before taking any further step on this matter.