Aljazeera: Asia: Saturday, December 16, 2017.
Rann of
Kutch, Gujarat - Rann of Kutch is a seasonal salt marsh located in the Thar
desert just 10km from the Arabian Sea in
India's Gujarat district. This is the land of the Agariya people, who have
lived here for centuries, knowing only one means of livelihood - salt
production.
From October
to June, they work day in and day out under a fierce sun, harvesting up to 76
percent of the salt produced in India.
In the
monsoon months, Rann of Kutch is submerged in sea water. As the water recedes from
October, the Agariyas move in to set up square fields to grow the salt. They
dig wells to pump out the briny groundwater and fill the fields where the
natural evaporation process leaves behind white crystals.
In winter,
the harvest season begins in the salt fields, which are now silvery white with
raw salt. Braving a relentless 40 degrees during day time, which often dips to
4 degrees in the desert night, the Agariyas live for six to seven months in the
shacks beside their salt flats.
They pay a
high price for working in such harsh conditions. According to a study conducted
by the National Institute of Occupational Health in Ahmedabad, the farmers
suffer from skin lesions, severe eye problems owing to intense reflections off
the white surfaces, and tuberculosis. A salt worker of Kutch seldom lives
beyond 60 years.
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