NID designs ergonomically viable equipment for salt pan workers.

DNA:Kinjal Desai Parth Shastri:Wednesday, December 14, 2011.

Imagine working in a salt pan under the scorching sun or suffering from terrible wrist and back pain after dragging piles of salt with ill-designed equipment. This is what the agarias or salt pan workers of Gujarat have been going through.

The National Institute of Design (NID) has come forward to lend a helping hand. Senior ergonomist and faculty of interdisciplinary design studies at NID, Prof Subir Das, has designed six pieces of equipment generally used by salt pan workers taking the ergonomic aspects into consideration.

The project is known as 'Redesign of Hand tools for Salt Production Centre'. The six pieces of equipment include pick-axe (used for breaking piles of salt), hoa (to collect salt), dhantola, scrapper, roller and a basket to carry salt.

Prof Das said interacting with the workers helped bring their health issues to the fore. "Because of the traditional design of the equipment, majority of the labourers had developed wrist and back ache. So, we have developed the equipment with curvy handles. The new design puts less stress on their wrist and back," he said.

He also added that handles of the equipment were rough, heavy and designed in such a way that they needed the workers to bend their hand while dragging the piles of salt. "We rectified all these problems so that it is easy for the workers to drag salt piles or prepare salt bed. In fact, in one of the pieces of equipment we have created a sitting space that will allow the worker to carry his child in the salt pan field," said Prof Das.

"Also, we have given better grip to the basket making it easy for workers to hold it," said Prof Das, adding that they have also suggested providing proper head and foot gear to them.

Little Rann no longer worth its salt ?

The Times of India:Parth ShastriParth Shastri:Wednesday, December 14, 2011.

SURENDRANAGAR: It is the area that produces more than 25% of India's total salt. Little Rann of Kutch is among the major areas where salt pans exist in the desert and not on sea shore, thanks to high salinity in water. The industry, however, is now experiencing a setback due to shortage of water that has led the salt pan owners to start digging deeper and farther in the Rann.

Vijay Patel, 43, a salt pan owner at Satapar village near the Rann, said that earlier the water was available around 10 kilometers in desert and they had to dig up 10 to 20 feet to get the water deposits that could be used for the salt production. "However today, we have to go as far as 40 kilometers in search of underground saline water and the dig as deep as 55 feet. Yet, there is no guarantee of finding water," he said.

Patel is not alone. Salt industry is the biggest employment generator for the area for the past 40 years. Around 13,000 workers get direct employment and other fringe industries such as transportation and packaging generate 15,000 more jobs. The areas around the Rann had more than 1,200 saltpans functioning five years ago. However, the number has gone down to 750 since.

Salt pan owners had formed an association last year for negotiation with the buyers and government. Dharamshi Thakor, president of the association, told TOI that one bore well used to be sufficient for a saltpan that produces 400 to 500 tons of salt. "Today, we require four bore wells to produce the same quantity. As we have to depend on generators to bring water to surface from such a depth, the cost works against the industry. Today we are selling a ton of salt at Rs 2,500. The price will soon shoot up if the problem persists," he said.

Ambubhai Patel, a community member from Kharaghoda village and expert on saltpan workers, said that the problem partially lies in the overuse of saline water. "I remember that saline water used to be found at four feet in 1972. A pair of bullocks was enough to get the water for business. Today, many have jumped in the fray and it has resulted in the decrease of water level," he said.

Patel said that simple measures can solve the issue. "We've been urging the state government for years to provide us with a canal from Malia Hati village, the starting point of Little Rann near gulf of Kutch that brings water in the desert. The canal will solve problem of the saline water in the area. However, the proposal has been gathering dust in the government files," he said.

According to industry sources, earlier Surendranagar ranked first in production of salt, thanks to Kharaghoda area. However, over the years, areas in Kutch and Saurashtra have raced ahead of the district.