Dr Reyna Sequeira
Panaji
The local salt-making industry is reeling from the impact of unseasonal rains that struck in March and April, leaving both local producers and migrant workers grappling with severe losses. This unexpected weather event has disrupted the delicate process of salt production, leading to a sharp decline in output and threatening the livelihoods of thousands who depend on this seasonal work.
One of the hardest-hit groups is the migrant workers from Gokarna, Karnataka who travel to Goa annually to work in the salt pans of Batim. While salt pans in Sanikatta, Gokarna, offer pensions and post-retirement benefits, the wages and overall working conditions in Goa are preferred by many workers.
“We prefer coming to Goa because the wages are higher, and the benefits are far better compared to our home region, even though we receive a pension in Gokarna. But in Goa, the salt pan owners take care of us in ways that make it worthwhile,” said Ganesh, a migrant worker from Gokarna.
However, the unseasonal rains have significantly impacted the salt production process. Excess moisture has slowed evaporation and disrupted the crystallization of salt, leading to a substantial dip in production. As a result, many workers, like Ganesh, are facing financial uncertainty, with their expected earnings drastically reduced. “Agorkar samke losant” (the salt workers are in total loss), said one worker from Batim.
In recent years, a new policy has been adopted in the salt-making industry, where whatever salt is produced is divided equally between the migrant workers and the tenants who now own the salt pans. This arrangement has replaced the fixed salary system that was previously in place. While this division has been generally favourable during years of good production, the unseasonal rains and reduced yield have meant that both the workers and the tenants are facing significant financial losses.
“Earlier, it was a better deal. We would receive a guaranteed salary, and the essentials were provided to us. Now, with this new system, we share the salt produced. But this year, the production is down, and our earnings have suffered drastically,” said Rajesh, another migrant worker.
Local businesses in Batim, which supply food, equipment and other necessities to the workers, are also seeing significant drops in sales. Transport services have been curtailed as fewer w(orkers remain in the area.
(Dr Reyna Sequeira is the Associate Professor, Government College, Quepem)
