India
oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P
Surendranagar, May 20: Salt stocks worth close to Rs 10 crore were washed away at Gujarat’s Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) in flooding that occurred due to cyclone Tauktae, people involved in salt production here said on Thursday.
As per a rough estimate, around 3 lakh metric tonnes of salt, which was harvested and kept in the open near saltpans for transportation, was destroyed by gusty winds, rain and flooding in the LRK region, part of which falls in Surendranagar.
As the price of one metric tonne of salt in the market is between Rs 300 to Rs 350, the loss is estimated around Rs 10 crore, said Bharat Sumera, district coordinator of Agariya Hitrakshak Samiti, an NGO that works for saltpan workers.
April to June is a crucial period for salt farmers, as they start harvesting salt and keep the stock ready for transportation to godowns, he said. “While around 12 lakh metric tonnes…