METHOD OF SALT PRODUCTION:
Human need salt to live. Salt is very necessary for daily purpose. Salt is under the
land naturally thought the world. This is named as rock salt. The some places water is
forcelly salt is taken from under the land take the salt in the form of liquid. in many areas
the salt water is in the brine wells up to 25%. From this brine wells, seawater and with
help of sunlight salt is produced throughout the area. in many foreign countries, the
sunlight is not sufficient for salt production. so they use electricity also.
In many areas with the help of multiple effects evaporation the salt is produced. in
Japan the salt is produced by electro dialysis method. in our country the salt is produced
in open areas with the help of sunlight. this system is mostly used in our country.
Tuticorin suits to the ideal climatically conditions such as long spells of dry and
hot water condition, which is essentially required for uninterrupted salt manufacture. the
sea brine/subsoil brine by solar evaporation is the chief factor in Tuticorin salt
manufacture.
Solar salt is produced by using the “solar power” of wind and sunlight to
evaporate in large open ponds, salt water from the ocean, a saline lake or less frequently,
solution mined brine or natural brine.
Evaporation of sea brine increases with rise in temperature, wind velocity and
surface exposure and decreases progressively with the rise of brine. Salt manufacturing is
being carried out from the first week of January to last week of September every year
without break. The process comes to an end on setting of northeast monsoon. Country’s
favorable southwest monsoon won’t affect the manufacture normally, but boosts the
evaporation rate because of effective westerly dry winds. Therefore the peak period of
manufacture has been identified after the onset of southwest monsoon during the first
week of June to last week of August every year.
The soil of the earth in tuticorin is impervious in nature and admixture of clay and
fine sand help speedy evaporation and to get pure white variety salt. Tuticorin yields salt
in unsuitable lands also. a salt manufacturing operation are going on in full sandy track
by the following captive units by spreading of thin polythene film layers in the
condensers and crystallizes. Certainly, the cost of preparation of the bed is high, but
proves economically viable in the salt industry, when they need quality salt.
The source of brine is mostly met from sub-soil. a latest survey has been made in
Tuticorin salt works by experimental bore well in and around Tuticorin salt works and the
findings are still awaited. the basic information clears and fears on the availability of the
sub-soil brine in the salt producing area. the initial density of the brine in the salt
producing area. the initial density of the brine wells from 6o BC to 14o BC. The factory
salt works are aligned after talking of the initial density of the brine into consideration.
For lifting brine, electrically operated centrifugal pumps are used in the salt factories.
Seawater contains so many salt materials. the important material from sea we
daily used that is common salt. According to scientifically term it is said as sodium
chloride. Like that so many mineral salt also find out from the salt also find out from the
sea. With the help of sunlight and evaporated for making the salt. the different kind of
salt is taken at different levels. The temperature of water in pans is measured with the
help of hydrometer. the density of seawater starts from 3B and in the last stage upon to
38B.
SALT TRADING AND EXPORTING FROM TUTICORIN TO
OTHER STATE:
The common salt is manufactured in our country by poor after Mahatma
Gandhiji’s salt sathyagraha movement. In 1977-79 central government was encouraging
the small-scale salt industry by giving the railway wagon to supply the salt through
railway. Due to the above concession given to small-scale salt manufactures now we are
producing more salt in our country and exporting salt to the foreign countries also. In
tamilnadu more salt is produced in tuticorin district alone.
The central and the state Government are banning the selling of non-iodized
common salt in tamilnadu with effect from 1-1-1995. If then selling of common salt is
banned the livelihood of lakhs of poor salt pan workers, thousands of small-scale
manufacturers & merchants will be unnecessarily and unjustifiably effected that will
create unemployment problem also.
Iodine is a chemical to be imported from foreign countries at heavy cost. It will
easily evaporate. Such evaporation will always give trouble to small merchants by way of
sample testing by health inspection and thereby have to meet with criminal cases against
them. The common salt is selling at the rate of 75 paise per kg. But the price of the
iodized salt is rs.4/-. Hike in price for the day-to-day using common salt will effect poor
people very much.
If iodine salt is made compulsory then small-scale salt manufactures could afford
to purchase and maintain the required machineries at heavy costs. Thereby they will be
forced to salt their common salt to big capitalist for a very low price and they will not be
able to earn their livelihood. At any rate, the proposed ban on the selling non-iodized
common salt gives great hardship and losses to all the people in general.
As per food adulteration act formula the government insists for 96% of sodium is
salt. Since salt is produced naturally either from sea water or bore well water, one cannot
adulterate salt. The merchants are merely purchasing salt from the manufacturers and
sending it to various places for retail selling.
Salt industry in our town is well-achieved one by giving employment to so many
people, tuticorin salt having its own conventional trade in kerala, Karnataka,
andhrapradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Madhyapradesh and west Bengal states. But now the salt
industry in south is facing a sstback because of the following reasons.
A zonal scheme was achieved by the Government of India and salt department for
equitable distribution of salt produced in our country, which helped us to clear our salt by
selling to the above states. Last year the Government has changed the zonal scheme,
which gives a big blow to south salt manufactures and traders. Because of the change in
the zonal scheme the buyers from the above states has stopped purchasing of salt from
south. The giant manufacturers in the Gujarat had utilized this opportunity very well and
they supplied salt to the above states. The cost of production is very low when comparing
the south because of the help of nature.
Many traders send salt to the northern states by wagon. But now the railway
people refused to book piecemeal wagon give wagons only to those who can book a full
rake wagons i.e., 90 wagons at a time. Because of this decision, only large-scale traders
can do business activities.
Some manufacturers from Gujarat bring industrial salt from Gujarat in the name
of edible salt to out state, get concession freom the railway for freight and selling the
same to d\some chemical industries in thirupur. This will affect the business. The sale of
tuticorin to thirupur area has come down. The manufacturers and traders in tamilnadu
have to face a cutthroat competition from Gujarat Manufactures and the multi core
companies.
The salt department has to protect the small-Scale industries traders and labors
from the giant companies and should take necessary step to stop the big companies in
entering the small-scale industry. So many by-products can be produced from salt by
using it as a main raw material. The salt department must ensure the manufacturing and
trading of edible salt should be reserved to be small-scale manufacturers and merchants.
Due to modifications in the zonal scheme that was in practice for so many
decades, west Bengal and bihar were removed from southern market. Last year due to
modifications in the zonal scheme salt from Gujarat was allowed to be marketed in
Andhra and Karnataka there by giving a deathblow to salt industry in south. Now the
truncated zonal scheme is in no way useful for southern salt industry, which is facing
total collapse.
