tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52127292282823370592024-03-17T00:21:43.081+05:30AGARIYA HEETRAKSHAK MANCHA Collective of traditional salt farmers of IndiaTreditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-45566077597725575252024-03-03T09:00:00.000+05:302024-03-03T09:00:02.476+05:30Agariya Farmers in Gujarat Demand Seasonal Land Rights, Minimum Support Price for Salt: Aditi Patil<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Land Conflict Watch: National: Sunday, 3 March 2024.<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Land Conflict Summary:<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Each year, around 12,000
Agariya families migrate to the Little Rann of Kutch for a period of eight
months (from September to AprilMay) for salt farming. The Agariyas are a
nomadic and denotified tribe. In 1948, the Government of India had declared
that smallscale salt farmers, who have less than 10 acres or four hectares of
land, do not require lease to make salt. But after Little Rann of Kutch was
declared a sanctuary in 1973 and technically became a forest, the forest
department allegedly started harassing the Agariyas for using its land to make
salt. The salt farmers claim they have been farming salt on this land for
generations.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">They have demanded customary
seasonal user rights to farm salt in Little Rann of Kutch under the Forest
Rights Act. They have submitted applications to local government bodies but
have not heard anything yet.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The average land use by each
salt farmer is about four or five acres and they claim that they do not use
more than three per cent of the total land of the sanctuary. In 2013, the
Gujarat government issued a resolution saying that the government has initiated
the process to create Forest Right Committees in the area for this purpose. No
action has been taken so far by the committees. About 5,000 square kilometres
of Little Rann of Kutch has never been surveyed, so there is a lot of confusion
about the ownership of this land. The Agariyas have also demanded minimum
support price for the salt produced by them on par with agricultural farmers.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">"Our demand will
neither require conversion of any land into revenue land, nor will it divert
any land from the protected forest area. Ours is a […] reasonable demand,
leaving no reason for the government to deny it," a member of the Agariya
community told the media.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In February 2021, the
Agariya farmers boycotted the local body elections as a mark of protest,
contending that their produce has drastically reduced due to excess water from
the Narmada river being released into their salt pans. Despite writing to the
local officials and being promised compensation, there has been no follow up,
they claim.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Being largely left out of
the benefits of most welfare schemes in the state is rooted in the basic lack
of either clauses to deter exploitation in leaseholder agreements or
interdepartmental coordination and longterm policy in the state.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-70706517507298235842024-02-20T09:36:00.002+05:302024-02-20T09:36:28.420+05:30Little Rann Of Kutch: A Haven For Wildlife Enthusiasts<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Outlook Traveller: National: Tuesday, 20 Feb 2024.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Trudging along the edge of
the Little Rann of Kutch in September is horrendous work. The claylike mud
clings to one's boots in ever enlarging balls that make each step heavier and
all the more energy-sapping in the humid morning. And I was doing this for
pleasure, or at least that was what I kept telling myself. I had come to stay
in the old darbargarh in Dhrangadhra, along with a BBC crew, and we hoped to
see flamingos.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">But today I was trying to
keep up with German geologist and photographer Gertrude Denzau as she tracked
ghudkhar, as the Asiatic Wild Ass (Equus hemionus khur) is locally known. I had
driven the 50 odd kilometres from Dhrangadhra to Zainabad where Gertrude was
staying with the redoubtable Shabir Malik at his wonderful family home on the
eastern edge of the Rann. Shabir is one of the many great amateur birdwatchers
in Gujarat who will put most professional ornithologists to shame. He has the
relaxed acceptance of someone at home in his environment, someone who has an
instinctive rather than a learned knowledge.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A few years earlier, Shabir
had established a fine camp near his home that he named after one of the great
birds of this area the Desert Courser. An apt name for both Shabir and his
son Dhanraj, who now runs the camp. But this was the off season and we were
staying in the traditionally built wooden home on the eastern edge of the
Little Rann.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Zainabad was originally part
of the small state of Dasada, which was in turn created under the Sultans of
Ahmedabad. When the British were encouraging the numerous, and nominally
independent, princely states in the area to sign treaties with the Govt of India
in Calcutta, Dasada was overlooked. The then ruler felt slighted and left out,
and sought an alliance with the Govt of India. He wanted a treaty of his own,
and by so doing lost his independence.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Wild Ass Sanctuary<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPI3M6AXtwdy0aVNdO5LQR-s8fkMqcxfdmolOYh3-SoirFj2OBtQk6gpYnIYuy_XXnYo_A7ukJ28Ee_RIud0t9zBbhAx4mWA8X8POjmq_G3RQ1zz0rFY7GeRvbaOgSqB1JF58U7Wv8ghb7fc0C4gW15KzP1zyhFauBdRm9dfeQWzGU0BlDLshDmZKcQ8/s1538/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1538" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPI3M6AXtwdy0aVNdO5LQR-s8fkMqcxfdmolOYh3-SoirFj2OBtQk6gpYnIYuy_XXnYo_A7ukJ28Ee_RIud0t9zBbhAx4mWA8X8POjmq_G3RQ1zz0rFY7GeRvbaOgSqB1JF58U7Wv8ghb7fc0C4gW15KzP1zyhFauBdRm9dfeQWzGU0BlDLshDmZKcQ8/w397-h236/Untitled.jpg" width="397" /></a></div>The Wild Ass Sanctuary was
created in 1973 and covers a huge 4,953 sq km, most of which is not effectively
protected. The Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary to the northwest covers another
7,505 sq km of the Great Rann, but they are divided by the NH-15 which connects
Rajasthan with the port of Kandla. Both these huge areas are difficult to
manage and have numerous illegal small-scale salt extraction projects employing
over 50,000 people in the Little Rann alone. Salt extraction is a great threat
to the area and poisons the soil with effluents and pollutes the air.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Rann is a saline
wilderness punctuated by beyts or bhets -- high grounds which become islands
during the monsoon and refuges for the ass and other animals. The highest of
the 74 bhets in the Little Rann is Bhet-Mardak, the summit of which reaches an impressive
55m above MSL, and is located in the heart of the sanctuary. Only 51 of the
bhets have any vegetation, much of which is Prosopis juliflora, while the
remaining 23 are more or less barren, and only one, Nanda Bhet, has any human
habitation.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In some areas of the Rann
where the surface is not disturbed, it has a permanent crust. But this is
increasingly rare as vehicles drive all over the area in the dry season and
extraction tanks are created. Prior to the 1819 earthquake, an eastern distributary
of the Indus emptied into the Rann and the area was a shallow sea with the
bhets being permanent islands. The vast amount of salt is an accumulation of
discharge from the rivers of Rajasthan, including the Banas and the Rupen which
now disappear in the northeastern corner of the Rann, both of which previously
had a much higher flow, and the high tides of the Gulf of Kutch.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Now the sea gets pushed
through a narrow neck near Surajbari by the monsoon winds and mixes with the
runoff of the rivers.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Little Rann Provides 25
Per Cent of India's Salt<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpwlFXYU2HqSf5FcS2L02LnT3u0srLM4gUbb713GGfPa535KWlILo6l4X1KXC9FdZ-mO7iWI6jTvjL68GRCX294WJPztKgjZWsNnXzSkI9bhK1YhYWWsdDc9lmqEmtYvmgFvE10whFHm3EP4QX1gDJFm6Ho4EheHcAgtp__opI4gxmDyt_PwGosEwbHQ/s1440/Untitled0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1440" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpwlFXYU2HqSf5FcS2L02LnT3u0srLM4gUbb713GGfPa535KWlILo6l4X1KXC9FdZ-mO7iWI6jTvjL68GRCX294WJPztKgjZWsNnXzSkI9bhK1YhYWWsdDc9lmqEmtYvmgFvE10whFHm3EP4QX1gDJFm6Ho4EheHcAgtp__opI4gxmDyt_PwGosEwbHQ/w398-h264/Untitled0.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>The meeting of these waters
sustains a thick seafood cocktail of small fish, prawns and other crustaceans
that are nourished by the mix of salt water blown in by the wind and the
monsoon runoff. And it is this rich feed that, in some years, attracts many
thousands of flamingos to the southern edge of the Little Rann. The salt flats
are transformed into great marsh swamps which make travel next to impossible.
But as the area dries up by the end of October, the salt crystals begin to
glitter in the winter sun and the extraction process begins again. Almost 25
per cent of India's salt comes from the Little Rann.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Tracking rutting Wild Ass at
any time of year is difficult in the dry season the asses have been recorded
galloping at up to 60kmph. Gertrude and I staggered in as dignified a way as we
could, trying to approach a small group who were safe on a slightly raised bit
of land where they were not going to get stuck. Around them the monsoon rains
had spurred the growth of mixed grass and herbaceous species that the ass
grazed upon. And it is in the August-September period that both foaling and
mating occurs. The gestation period is approximately 13 months and the mares come
into heat every two years. Gertrude was collecting material for what became a
magnificent book on all the Wild Ass species of the world.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Wild Ass Population
Restricted to Little Rann<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Over the last decade the
numbers of the Wild Ass have increased and they have begun to reclaim some of
their old range. They were once found as far as the Indus, and Akbar hunted
them on the banks of the Sutlej, but now they are restricted to the Little Rann
and a few neighbouring patches.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">One of the greatest threats
to the Rann is the spread of Prosopis juliflora. Originally introduced as a
fuelwood species by the old rulers of Radhanpur and Morvi, it grows rampant
through the drought-prone areas of western India. An absurd situation arose in
the Rann a few years ago where the Wildlife Department was trying to eradicate
the weed and another part of the same department was planting it in neat rows.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Besides Nilgai, other
mammals found in the Rann of Kutch are chinkara, wolves and caracal<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Besides Nilgai, other
mammals found in the Rann of Kutch are chinkara, wolves and caracal Wikimedia
Commons<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Wetlands For Many Animals<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Not all the rain gets mixed
with the brackish water. Along the eastern edge of the Rann, tanks and natural
depressions fill up with rainwater and become important wetlands for waterfowl
and many animals. Nilgai, chinkara, wolves and caracal are among the other
mammal species one can see while travelling over the Rann. In October,
demoiselle cranes and many other species arrive from central Asia, and the
Houbara Bustard struts along the edge of the Rann while nilgai shimmer in a
mirage.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Back in Dhrangadhra, I
joined Valmik Thapar and a crew from the BBC Natural History Unit where they
were filming a sequence for the series Land of the Tiger. We drove the 20 odd
kilometres to Kuda following the alignment of an old narrow gauge railway line
built to bring salt from the Rann to depots in Dhrangadhra. There were tracks
we could follow in our jeep and then we had to walk over cracked mud into which
our footsteps sank a few centimetres. We managed to get within about 500m of a
large flock of flamingos feeding on the rich cocktail of fish and prawn.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Every Monsoon A
Celebration<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Rann never gets very
much rain, but every monsoon here is a celebration. A good monsoon just about
brings a blush to the dormant grass. When we visited, the rains were bountiful
and both the ass and flamingos made the most of it. A few years later I was in
another part of Kutch looking for wolves in the grasslands west of Bhuj. It was
the wettest monsoon in a long time, and after years of drought the Rann and its
creatures were celebrating once again.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-70470507813339366222024-02-18T11:30:00.000+05:302024-02-18T11:30:07.187+05:30Salt Workers Fight for Livelihood in Wild Ass Sanctuary<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Vibes of India: Ahmedabad: Sunday, 18 Feb 2024.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiAMHpdW8E_ysm_6BEI4ki3YgUonOBgKr1H79TsiHE9M7HqQlCjr-pq8TUovFxAJXo04MbMJUqvR_VHXLe6v9I3rplDICXmFR47VgRU-0jUKTTCWA5m-c4Jv0OkxxyS8__riNyvM9QvXpgFSJWZS4Tqzp_qFAlNNCyG4VDfW35ghyphenhyphenb2IrOmvlsyAKy_M/s930/Katrina-Gujarati-Landing-1-930x527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="930" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiAMHpdW8E_ysm_6BEI4ki3YgUonOBgKr1H79TsiHE9M7HqQlCjr-pq8TUovFxAJXo04MbMJUqvR_VHXLe6v9I3rplDICXmFR47VgRU-0jUKTTCWA5m-c4Jv0OkxxyS8__riNyvM9QvXpgFSJWZS4Tqzp_qFAlNNCyG4VDfW35ghyphenhyphenb2IrOmvlsyAKy_M/w401-h226/Katrina-Gujarati-Landing-1-930x527.jpg" width="401" /></a></div>A dispute has arisen between 53 salt pan workers and the
Gujarat Forest Department regarding access to the Wild Ass Sanctuary in Little
Rann of Kutch. The workers, claiming to be traditional “agariyas” (salt
cultivators), allege they were stopped from cultivating salt within the
sanctuary’s boundaries, despite possessing “agariya pothi” cards issued in
2008.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">However, the Forest Department, represented by Deputy
Conservator Dhavalkumar Gadhavi, counters this claim. In an affidavit submitted
to the Gujarat High Court, Gadhavi states that salt cultivation within the
sanctuary requires specific permission and an “agariya card” issued only to
individuals listed in the sanctuary’s official Survey Settlement Report. The
petitioners’ names are absent from this report, rendering their cards invalid
for sanctuary access.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">The petitioners argue that traditional agariyas possess
an inherent right to cultivate salt on up to 10 acres without permits, citing a
1948 recommendation by the Union government’s Salt Expert Committee. The Forest
Department refutes this claim, citing a 2023 communication that restricts
access solely to those listed in the Survey Settlement Report.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: HI;">Adding complexity to the situation, the petitioners
highlight that the survey to determine land rights predating the sanctuary’s
creation remains incomplete since 1997, despite the sanctuary’s establishment
in 1978. This, they argue, throws their traditional rights into question.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-15666016926274825742024-02-15T11:19:00.005+05:302024-02-15T11:19:53.081+05:30Workers want to illegally cultivate salt in Wild Ass Sanctuary, forest official tells Gujarat HC: Written by Sohini Ghosh<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Indian Express: Ahmedabad: Thursday, 15 Feb 2024.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b><i>The petitioners, meanwhile,
have claimed that they are traditional agariyas (salt pan cultivators) hailing
from Santalpur in Patan's Little Rann of Kutch. They have been cultivating salt
there and were issued agariya pothi a card identifying them as salt pan
cultivators in 2008.</i></b><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZ-YvUC5bpmIE1UJjrOkE1vwYFBTt_iw0Pi7tlGByaz6tI_hotF31mrwVhoDqrkFGn5osIUkbYIOi042CfM4-Xkq36otW5psnEH7kY5all8mm_KLcSEoLth5fBRQw5-pHcl4gWbKx42cKtQ3zGIMj1i8TcVCxK5YrnV_t5zoavQFUNV3d_UUOoyTZ-PQ/s632/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="632" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZ-YvUC5bpmIE1UJjrOkE1vwYFBTt_iw0Pi7tlGByaz6tI_hotF31mrwVhoDqrkFGn5osIUkbYIOi042CfM4-Xkq36otW5psnEH7kY5all8mm_KLcSEoLth5fBRQw5-pHcl4gWbKx42cKtQ3zGIMj1i8TcVCxK5YrnV_t5zoavQFUNV3d_UUOoyTZ-PQ/w398-h226/Untitled.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>Responding to a petition
moved by 53 salt pan workers alleging that they have been stopped from
undertaking cultivation work on land that is a part of the Wild Ass Sanctuary
in Little Rann of Kutch, the state government has told the Gujarat High Court
that the petitioners want to enter the sanctuary for illegal salt cultivation.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In an affidavit submitted
before the HC on February 13, Dhavalkumar Gadhavi, the Deputy Conservator of
Forest (DCF) at Wild Ass Sanctuary at Surendranagar’s Dhrangadhra, noted that
to cultivate salt in the Wild Ass Sanctuary, prior permission has to be obtained
by availing the ‘agariya card’, which is issued only to individuals or entities
or cooperative societies whose name appears in the Survey Settlement Report
issued by the sanctuary’s settlement officer.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">It added that the names of
the petitioners are not reflected in the Survey Settlement Report of 2008 and
they also do not possess agariya cards, which is issued by the forest
department, and only those salt workers who have such cards can enter the sanctuary
for salt cultivation.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The petitioners, meanwhile,
have claimed that they are traditional agariyas (salt pan cultivators) hailing
from Santalpur in Patan’s Little Rann of Kutch. They have been cultivating salt
there and were issued agariya pothi a card identifying them as salt pan
cultivators in 2008.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">However, the affidavit noted
that agariya pothi is merely an “identification card” required to avail welfare
schemes and it would not be valid for any other legal purpose. It added that
the document is issued to any person involved in any work related to salt
industry “without distinguishing” whether the document-holder is a salt
farmer/cultivator or any other labourer working in the industry.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The petitioners have claimed
that traditional agariyas do not require license or lease to cultivate up to 10
acre of land for production of salt by virtue of recommendation of the Salt
Expert Committee constituted by the Union government in 1948.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">However, the DCF’s affidavit
stated that by way of a communication dated May 24, 2023 issued by the
principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) “it was instructed that only
individuals whose name appears in the Survey Settlement Report… should be
issued the agariya card and be allowed to enter the sanctuary area for salt
farming”.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The petitioners have
challenged this communication on the ground that the survey and settlement of
rights of those using the land much prior to declaration of the area as part of
the Wild Ass Sanctuary has not been finalised till date. This, even though the
survey and settlement to determine the rights of those who have been using the
land for non-forest activity started in 1997 and the Little Rann of Kutch was
declared as a wild ass sanctuary in 1978, they added.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-27564175186556480192024-02-08T10:33:00.002+05:302024-02-08T10:33:45.096+05:30Narmada water destroying salt pans in Little Rann of Kutch, say agariyas: Written by Gopal B Kateshiya<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Indian Express: Rajkot: Thursday, 8 Feb 2024.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b><i>On the floor of the
Assembly, the state government conceded on Tuesday that some Narmada water does
make its way to the Little Rann of Kutch and that it will take appropriate
action.</i></b><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqJHMgJmlyEoRxOmwDT66usaSgAkyAxE7pG8F7bAF48Gh5Ae3DnYYul5Z3kKhTrYyrjEaxq0-qpFrhAvbj-IRrZxQw0xFcradztXvsmCh5Ai45EQPV_sZ6Xi0T-4o7RjnlgECwR61eZJOzC64uyjSGGc5zMHSD4GX2Vuug3clMMrTcEIryBVYMCAXJ0Q/s639/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="639" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqJHMgJmlyEoRxOmwDT66usaSgAkyAxE7pG8F7bAF48Gh5Ae3DnYYul5Z3kKhTrYyrjEaxq0-qpFrhAvbj-IRrZxQw0xFcradztXvsmCh5Ai45EQPV_sZ6Xi0T-4o7RjnlgECwR61eZJOzC64uyjSGGc5zMHSD4GX2Vuug3clMMrTcEIryBVYMCAXJ0Q/w400-h225/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><span style="color: white;">Agariyas try to contain flow of Narmada water in<br />Little Rann of Kutchnear Tikar in Halvad. (Express Photo)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Agariyas (salt pan workers)
cultivating salt in the Little Rann of Kutch bordering Halvad in Morbi district
have alleged that Narmada water flowing from canals of Sardar Sarovar Narmada
Nigam Limited (SSNNL) is flooding their salt pans, threatening to destroy salt
that will soon be ready for harvest.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">On the floor of the
Assembly, the state government conceded on Tuesday that some Narmada water does
make its way to the Little Rann of Kutch and that it will take appropriate
action.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In a written reply to a
question asked by Congress MLA Dinesh Thakor, Minister of State for Salt
Industries, Jagdish Panchal, said: “Water is not directly flowed to from
Narmada canal to Little Rann of Kutch. But in emergency, escapes of canal are
operated and water is discharged in streams, rivulets and rivers. Some of these
streams, rivulets and rivers tail into the Little Rann of Kutch hence, water
some time does end up in Little Rann of Kutch.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Volume of such water is low
as compared to those of other rivers, he added.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Thakor went on to ask if it
was true that as of December 31, 2023, salt cultivated by agariyas was being
washed away by fresh water being released from canals of Narmada dam project.
In reply to his another question on what the government has done in the last
two years to prevent loss of salt this way, Panchal said the state government
will “in accordance of law, take appropriate action”.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Agariyas said their salt
pans abutting Ajitgadh, Mangadh, Tikar, Jogad and Kidi villages, among others,
have been flooded by Narmada water streaming down from SSNNL’s Maliya branch
canal to Little Rann of Kutch through local rivers and rivulets. Suresh Raghavji,
an Agariya from Tikar, said that Narmada water started flooding Little Rann of
Kutch around a month ago. “The damage is on a very large scale,” he added.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Manhar Devji from Tikar said
that Narmada water threatens to destroy salt cultivated in around 500 salt pans
each in Little Rann of Kutch tracts bordering villages like Tikar, Ajitgadh,
Mangadh, Jogad and Kidi, which will soon be ready for harvest. “Water is
submerging our patas, each having 50 to 60 tonne of salt,” he said, requesting
the government to stop flow of Narmada water at the earliest. “Otherwise, this
water will submerge average 500 salt pans in these villages,” Manhar told
mediapersons.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">While managing director of
SSNNL, Mukesh Puri, could not be reached for comments, sources in SSNNL said
that Narmada water, being channelled to Saurashtra and north Gujarat for
irrigation purpose, making its way to Little Rann of Kutch has been an issue for
the past three to four years.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“But it is not that SSNNL
discharges Narmada water into Little Rann of Kutch on purpose. We are neither
discharging additional water nor wasting the precious water that is pumped to
our canals by consuming lots of electricity. The main reason is return flow,
the surface and sub-surface excess water that drains from farmers field after
irrigating crops through flooding method,” said a senior SSNNL functionary.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Maliya branch canal, which
offtakes from Saurashtra branch canal of SSNNL in Surendranagar, runs parallel
to the eastern border of Little Rann of Kutch and tails in Malia taluka of
Morbi after passing through Lakhtdar, Dasada and Dhrangadhra in Surendranagar
and Halvad and Malia in Morbi.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“This problem is not limited
to Morbi only. Around four lakh hectare of Narmada dam’s command area falls on
the border of Little Rann of Kutch and SSNNL is duty-bound to provide farmers
of these areas irrigation water when they demand it. However, many a time,
farmers operate canal gates on their own and that exacerbates water flowing to
Little Rann of Kutch,” the official said. Instead of the more common method of
flooding salt pans with seawater, agariyas cultivating salt in Little Rann of
Kutch fill their pans with salty groundwater by pumping it out with oil engines
and motor pumps. The cultivation season starts in October-November and harvest
begins in April.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Sources said that flow in
Maliya branch canal has already decreased by around two-third. “From the peak
of around 1,000 cusec (cubic feet per second) in November-December, the
discharge has decreased now to average 300-350 cusec. This means less water will
be flowing to farmers’ fields,” said a source.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Harinesh Pandya, president
of NGO Agariya Hit Rakshak Manch said the state will have to find a long-term
solution. “Narmada dam project is worth Rs 90,000 crore and still, so much
water is going waste in Surendranagar and Morbi even as farmers of Kutch are
waiting for their share. This waste has to stop, not to protect the livelihood
of agariyas and farmers but to also prevent damage that freshwater can do to
desert ecology,” he added.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Pandya said Narmada water
has flooded an Little Rann of Kutch tract around 40 km long and seven km across
Surendranagar and Morbi. “There is similar flooding at Santalpur in Patan and
Rapar in Kutch but there have been no complaints, as the forest department has
prevented agariyas from cultivating salt in those areas this year.”</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-62589582547656289952024-02-07T11:04:00.000+05:302024-02-07T11:04:14.682+05:30Adverse impact on saltpans, biodiversity, wild ass as Narmada waters flood Kutch Rann : By Pankti Jog<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Counterview: Ahmedabad: Wednesday, 7 Feb 2024.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLqbCw3oRcD_WgvjzVrGhyPEaBf_HZtDN1wbyQ9s6X15RiKXWbGh6scKqupXh5oITQ4UmQSgZeQF8GMf5ucViXLcN9TBf1z1UFSzQM2gtF6mmxk6cl4lLh8JT8DZkR13uTQlCDSdc4Vif9GRhpTygcg5HxOSAuLtVJj2rlBn6FQt6m8kTBDuHOUuTEi0/s848/LRK%20Narmada%20Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="848" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLqbCw3oRcD_WgvjzVrGhyPEaBf_HZtDN1wbyQ9s6X15RiKXWbGh6scKqupXh5oITQ4UmQSgZeQF8GMf5ucViXLcN9TBf1z1UFSzQM2gtF6mmxk6cl4lLh8JT8DZkR13uTQlCDSdc4Vif9GRhpTygcg5HxOSAuLtVJj2rlBn6FQt6m8kTBDuHOUuTEi0/w400-h226/LRK%20Narmada%20Water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>If you visit Kharaghoda,
Zinzuwada or Halvad Rann, or even Santalpur Rann areas in the Little Rann of
Kutch these days, you will be surprised to see Narmada waters are flowing in
the Rann areas, which are otherwise supposed to be a dry desert for eight months
of a year.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Narmada waters are
continuously flowing in these areas for the last two plus months, spreading to
up to as far as 40 km inside, inundating widespread areas of the Rann.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b>From where are the waters
released and how are they reaching the Rann?</b><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Rann is triangular
shaped, spread over approximately 5,000 sq km area, and lies between
Surendranagar (Patadi, Dhangadhra block), Morbi (Halvad, Maliya block), Patan
(Santalpur block) and Kutch (Rapar block) districts.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Many rivers like Rupen,
Banas and small-big streams in these districts meet the Rann, and during the
rainy season, they carry rainwater into the Rann. Waters also come in from the
Surajbari creek, turning the Rann into a brackish water lake for 3-4 months.
However, by September, the waters dry up, and flow back into the creek, and
cracked mud-flats emerge, making into into a mud desert for the rest of the
period.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Narmada waters are
released in large quantity in these rivers and streams for the purpose of
irrigation, but they reach the Rann areas, thus get wasted. This happens mostly
December onwards.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Impact on salt farms<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Gujarat produces 76% of
India’s total salt production, and the Rann contributes 31% of it. Large scale
water released from the Narmada canal during the salt season makes severe
impact on the salt farming inside the Rann. Salt farms are inundated, and the
density of the brine reduces when the Narmada waters get mixed with the brine
in the salt farms.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Sometimes bunds constructed
by saltpan farmers are washed away by these waters. The salt farmers', or
Agariyas', access to their well and farm (Agar) gets restricted, thereby
affecting salt production.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Worse, once the Rann is
flooded with Narmada waters, water tankers and mobile health vans cannot reach
the Agariyas, depriving them of health service and drinking water supply.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In fact, floods in Rann due
to Narmada waters are a recurring incident and this has been going on for the
past several years.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 2017, the sudden release
of waters in Banas river led to huge floods and the Agariyas had to immediately
rush back to their villages from salt farms. One pregnant Agariya women died as
she got labour pain and could not reached hospital on time.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Narmada waters are released
in large quantity in rivers and streams for irrigation, but they reach the Rann
areas, thus get wasted.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 2021, Kharagodha and
Zinzuwada were flooded with Narmada waters, and 159 salt farms were destroyed.
A committee headed by the director (civil) Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam (SSNNL)
visited the Rann and met Agariyas for analyzing the situation and filed a
report. Damage assessment was done but no compensation was given.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Impact on wild life and
biodiversity<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Rann is the Wild Ass
Sanctuary, and such frequent floods with Narmada waters are bound to affect the
rare species' habitat, apart having adverse impact on the biodiversity of the
Rann.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The wild ass requires a dry
desert environment, and it can't reside in wetlands. It walks, wanders and runs
in the dry mudflats of the wild ass sanctuary. More than 6,000 wild asses are
conserved here.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Inundation of the desert
during winter and summer restricts the movement of the wild ass, which may have
long-term impact on its habitation and growth. Additionally, the Rann has many
species like spiders which make rare nets in the mud-flat cracks, and reptiles
stay in underground holes. All of this may also get affected.<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>One wonders:</b><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What is the reason for
releasing Narmada waters in Banas and Rupen rivers?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Has the SSNNL estimated the
water requirements of the farmers on the periphery of the Rann in order to
release reasonable amount of water?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">What is the planning by the
SSNNL for storing extra waters that are not used by farmers?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Who is responsible for such
a huge loss of Narmada waters?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Who will give compensation
for the livelihood loss of the Agariyas?</span></li></ul></span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-84789371196658077312024-02-07T10:31:00.000+05:302024-02-07T10:31:50.338+05:30Climate change is making salt harder to produce: Vaishnavi Rathore<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">The Scroll: New Delhi: Wednesday, 7 Feb 2024.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b><i>Gujarat is India’s highest
salt-producing state. But shifting, unpredictable monsoons have disrupted the
livelihoods of those who produce the mineral.</i></b><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFxMj4O6lGJTS5Bc33Uw_GlvHDUCc22DLwG14CEYbzuwIVxBFHgTju_A4JhfKvG7FQlXnOzFBBOvEAH3ujHFIrvO37BhUTHt9TLMm6dnbXbHjeIBaPNXDtHEj8I2zfgALjRvYftxUW1JYRYU9qqXu-dkFi5MfxVyIYSew-9U_BIxq4AAYVDCCoGYW-j0/s1200/198203-uhbtechxoq-1707198783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFxMj4O6lGJTS5Bc33Uw_GlvHDUCc22DLwG14CEYbzuwIVxBFHgTju_A4JhfKvG7FQlXnOzFBBOvEAH3ujHFIrvO37BhUTHt9TLMm6dnbXbHjeIBaPNXDtHEj8I2zfgALjRvYftxUW1JYRYU9qqXu-dkFi5MfxVyIYSew-9U_BIxq4AAYVDCCoGYW-j0/w398-h209/198203-uhbtechxoq-1707198783.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>One day in early June, Awesh
Bhai received a Whatsapp message from the Gujarat State Disaster Management
Authority warning him that Cyclone Biparjoy would make landfall in Gujarat in
the next five days.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Awesh Bhai lives in the town
of Maliya in Morbi district, just under 50 km from the coast – close enough
that it would feel the impact of the cyclone.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He set to work to limit the
damage he was anticipating. Among the measures he planned was to unscrew solar
panels that powered a pump that he had bought with the help of a subsidy
provided by the Gujarat government. The motor helped him pump saline water,
which flowed underground and from nearby streams that connected to the sea,
into sections of flat land, known as salt pans. Here the water would gradually
evaporate to leave behind salt, his main source of livelihood.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“But the moment I shared the
news of the coming cyclone with my labourers, they all packed up their
temporary huts and rushed away from the salt farms for safety,” Awesh Bhai
said. “We could not take off the panels in time.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In mid-June, the cyclone hit
Maliya. Awesh Bhai lost eight of his 16 solar panels. The cyclone also carried
dust that mixed with about 500 tonnes of salt he had already harvested, making
it unfit to sell. “Over the 10 acres that we harvest salt, we faced losses of
about Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh last year,” he said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Awesh Bhai is an Agariya, a
term that refers to a group of small-scale, traditional salt-makers in Gujarat
who hail from four different caste and religious groups. They carry out the
work under a Central government notification of 1948 that exempts any individual
who makes salt on less than 10 acres of land from obtaining a lease.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">An estimated 45,000 Agariyas
make salt in Gujarat’s Little Rann of Kutch, a triangular desert shared between
five districts Morbi, Kutch, Surendranagar, Patan, and Banaskantha. Gujarat is
India’s highest salt-producing state, and accounts for 85% of the country’s
total production in 2022, the state produced 228 lakh tonnes. The produced salt
is processed for human consumption, but also as raw material for other
products, like caustic soda, fertilisers, and paints. Of the total salt
produced in Gujarat, 31% comes from Agariyas in the Little Rann of Kutch.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">However, in the last few
years, the production of salt has seen a decline across all salt-producing
states. In Gujarat, it fell by 4% in just six years between 2016 and 2022, an
analysis of data presented in response to a Rajya Sabha question showed.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“The fall in Gujarat is
majorly because of two causes,” said Bharat Raval, president of the Indian Salt
Manufacturing Association, or ISMA. “Increasing cyclones on the coast between
April and May, and extended monsoons.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Indeed, the last three
decades have seen significant changes in Gujarat’s climate. An analysis of
meteorological data from 1980 to 2020 found a 52% increase in the frequency of
cyclonic storms in the Arabian sea, an 80% increase in their duration, and an
increase of about 40% in their intensity in the post-monsoon period.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Residents of the region also
noted that the Little Rann had been seeing “kam mausam baarish”, their term for
unseasonal rains, and an overall increase in the amount of rain in the region.
While data specific to the Little Rann is not available, meteorologists have
documented changes in climate in Kutch district, where a part of the Little
Rann falls: over a span of 30 years between 1983 and 2013, the average rainfall
in the district during the monsoon months from June to September almost doubled
from 378 mm to 674 mm.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">These changes in climate
have spelled disaster for the salt-making industry, which benefited earlier
from the limited rain in the desert and the sharp sunlight it received through
the year. The changes are shortening the salt production season, negatively
affecting the quality of salt, delaying production, and causing losses in
crores for large companies.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Salt is one of the cheapest
and most essential commodities,” Raval said. “Right now, the government is not
giving attention to the problem. When they finally do that, it will be very
late. The industry will not be able to recover overnight.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The changes in climate are
also disrupting the livelihoods of small-scale salt miners. “Ours is a
profession that is almost completely dependent on the weather,” said Awesh
Bhai. “Lekin ab mausam palti kha raha hai,” he said but now the weather is
turning over.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The little Rann of Kutch
spans approximately 5,000 square km. The landscape changes dramatically through
the year. During the monsoon, seasonal rivers drain into the desert, while
seawater flows directly over land closer to the coast. This effectively converts
the desert into a wetland, and renders it inaccessible.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Each September, the sea
retreats and the seasonal rivers dry up, leaving a vast expanse of flat land.
This marks the start of the period of salt-manufacturing, which lasts up till
March and April the following year.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">There are broadly two kinds
of manufacturers. Closer to the coast, and with easy access to highways, are
companies that make salt across thousands of acres of land. These companies
typically make karkatch, a powdery variety of salt that can be produced every
two months. Some Agariyas also work close to the coast, and make karkatch.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Most Agariyas, however, work
further inland, and manufacture vadagara, a salt variety that is made up of
large crystals that take eight months to harvest.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">At the start of the
salt-making months, the Agariyas hire tractors, load them up with rations and
their belongings. They then drive from towns and villages on the periphery of
the desert through marshy land to reach the locations where they set up salt farms.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">By the time they put up
temporary huts made with bamboo and tarpaulin, the marshy land dries up
completely it is typically then available to them for the next eight months to
make salt.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In early January, when
Scroll visited parts of the Little Rann in Surendranagar and Morbi districts,
solar-powered motors pumped out saline groundwater into large, shallow pits
about a foot deep. From there, water flowed out through slightly sloping channels
that Agariyas dig from scratch each year, to four other successive pits. In
this process, water evaporates, increasing the salinity of the remaining water.
By March and April, water evaporates almost completely from the final pit,
leaving crystals of salt that the Agariyas collect.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Fluctuating and extreme
climate patterns affect this production process in multiple, interlinked ways.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">As in Awesh Bhai’s case,
perhaps the most dramatic and visible damage happens as a result of cyclones.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Older generations of
Agariyas noted that the occurrence of cyclones has increased in recent years.
Not only do strong cyclones cause immediate damage to solar panels, the
temporary huts and quality of salt, they also shorten the salt season.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Usually, the salt season
winds up at the end of June,” said ISMA’s Raval. He added that most cyclones in
recent years had made landfall in May, which effectively ends the season a
month or two earlier. “Ending two months earlier means a loss of about 60 lakh
tonnes of salt,” Raval said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Karim Juma, a 52-year-old
Agariya, pointed out that in Maliya, cyclones are accompanied by strong tidal
waves these waves carry saline water as far inland as Maliya through streams.
These streams sometimes overflow, submerging the access roads to the salt pans;
water can then take weeks to withdraw. “During this time, the water does not
allow us to enter the desert area even with our cars,” he said. “So, in case
some of our harvested salt is saleable, we are not able to get transportation
to sell it to factories.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Cyclones also affect larger
companies that operate in the region, such as Dev Salt, in Morbi district. The
company makes 5 lakh tonnes of the multi-crop kurkatch every year by drawing
seawater into salt pans across 7,000 acres and concentrating it through a
mechanised version of the process that Agariyas use.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Last year, the company
suffered major losses as a result of Cyclone Biparjoy. The cyclone and
accompanying high tides flooded the desert where the company operates. The
company lost 50% of its salt production, according to Vivek Dhruna, an
industrial relations and liaison officer of Dev Salt.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Salt manufacturers in Morbi
build mud bundhs around five feet high to prevent high-tide seawater from
mixing with the salt pans through the year.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">But Dhruna noted that often
these bundhs cannot bear the impact of intense cyclones.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“The water then seeps into
the mud bundhs, making them weaker,” he said. When this happens, loosened mud
and other impurities from the bundh also mix with the saline water, he
explained, adding, “This hampers the quality of salt.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He noted that the salt
closer to the walls would have higher amounts of these impurities, and that
therefore, “In such cases, we harvest salt only beyond 25 feet from the wall of
the bundhs.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Salt-makers then have to
hire machines and labour to strengthen the bundhs again. “So, the cost of
production for the salt that year increases,” Dhruna said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Meteorological data support
Agariyas’ anecdotal accounts of excess and unseasonal rain in the region.
Indian Meteorological Department data from weather stations in three cities in
Kutch Kandla, Mundra and Naliya show an increase in “rainy days” over the past
30 years. Specifically, between the decades of 1990–2000 and 2011–2020, the
number of rainy days that Kandla saw increased from an average of 12 to 20.
Between the same periods, Mundra saw an increase from 14.6 to 20, and Naliya,
from 9.8 to 14.3.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In times of excess rain,
dams in the region, such as the Narmada and Machhu dams, often fill beyond
capacity authorities then release excess water, which flows through canals,
some of which are close to salt pans.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Salt farmers noted that if
this freshwater, or “meetha pani”, drains into the desert, it can mix with the
saline brine being evaporated in Agariyas’ pits. “This dilutes the degree of
salinity in the water, and we have to restart the salt-making process all over
again,” said Deelabhai Khambalia, a salt-maker who lives a few kilometres away
from Savadia, and whose hut in the desert is situated on the edge of a small
lake made of excess water drained out from a canal nearby.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Khambalia added, “We have to
manually build bundhs to prevent the sweet water from entering into our salt
pans.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The bundhs that Agariyas
build are embankments made of mud, around two feet high. Building them is a
time-consuming activity. Khambalia’s wife Sharda Ben explained that in 2023,
“When we should have been doing salt work, we were doing mud work.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Apart from the last year,
she recounted that the administration also released more than the usual amount
of water through the canal in 2015 and 2017.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The process of making salt
is also disrupted by the late withdrawal of the monsoon and unseasonal rains.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Anif Mohammad, a 41-year-old
Agariya who makes salt around 10 km from Dev Salt, noted that he typically
began his work around the festival of Janmashatmi, which usually falls in
August. “Now, the rains are not sticking to their time,” he said. Now, he often
starts work after Diwali, which usually falls in October or November.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“This year, we began making
the salt pans on November 25, after the water from Machhu had finally dried
up,” said Mohammad. “Then by November 27, it rained, which stalled our work
once more.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Unseasonal rain mixes with
saline water in the pits, diluting its salinity, delaying the process by which
salt crystals are formed. In some instances, when rains occur after salt
crystals begin to form, “it melts the crystals away, destroying that crop”,
said Karai Ben, who is in her late thirties. “Last year in March, first heavy
wind came and then rain,” she said, adding that this damaged 900 tonnes of her
salt.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Last year, 60-year-old Dev
Bhai Savadia was able to travel the 30 km from his village Patdi to the desert
only in October, delaying his salt-making process by a month. “The monsoon
ended late, and the desert was still full of water so we could not enter,” he
said. Typically, monsoon showers lasted in Gujarat from July to August. But in
the last few years, rains have extended till September and even October.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A delay by a month meant
that Savadia would probably stay a month longer to make up for the lost time
for salt production. But this extended time period would coincide with the
arrival of cyclones. “Staying longer in summer months means that we will be risking
dust storms and cyclones, which mixes dust with the salt that is ready at the
time,” he said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Rains hamper salt production
in other ways also. “The clouds that accompany unseasonal rains lower the
evaporation rate,” said Dev Salt’s Dhruna. This extends the time needed to
create one crop of salt. “With unfavourable weather, one crop of salt can take
an additional month and a half to harvest,” he said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Savadia noted that nowadays,
“it rains at least three-four times after we come to the desert, which did not
happen earlier”. Last year, after unseasonal rain battered his 10 acres of salt
pans, Savadia lost 500 tonnes of about 1,300 tonnes of salt he had
manufactured. This cost him around Rs 1 lakh from his annual earnings. “I get
worried now when I see dark clouds in the sky,” Savadia said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Salt-makers told <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Scroll</span></em> that although they
faced significant losses as a result of cyclones and excess and unseasonal
rain, they had so far not seen significant support from the administration.
Both small-scale Agariyas as well as large companies and traders said that they
had not received compensation for losses they had suffered.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Bharat Somera, a coordinator
at Surendranagar with Agariya Heetrakshak Manch, a collective of traditional
salt-makers in Gujarat, noted that out of around 3,500 families who suffered
losses in 2021 as a result of Cyclone Tauktae, only 75 received compensation.
“This compensation was given only to those whose salt had crystallised and had
been harvested before getting damaged because of the storm,” Somera said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Pankti Jog, programme person
with the Manch, explained that even those who did receive compensation got only
Rs 2,500 for each of their salt pans, each of which is roughly 150 feet wide
and 500 feet long. This amount “is a very, very low value for the damage
suffered”, she said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Somera added that apart from
such payments granted in response to specific problems, “There were no clear
guidelines of who should get compensation.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Scroll emailed the district
administration to ask about why many Agariyas had not received compensation. By
the time this article was published, there had been no reply.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Without financial support
for losses, small-scale Agariyas turn to borrowing money.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In Surendranagar district,
where salt pans are situated between 30 km and 50 km from the nearest
municipality, Agariyas sell salt to traders who act as middlemen. These traders
factor in expensive transportation costs and pay low rates to the Agariyas for
the salt, ranging between Rs 100 and Rs 150 per tonne. When Agariyas face
losses, they are often forced to ask traders for advance payments for the
following year’s harvest – when they are hit by consecutive years of losses,
they become trapped in a cycle of debt.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In Maliya, Agariyas have
written to district officials as well as the chief minister to demand
compensation. “We even put out videos of the damage due to cyclones to our
salt,” said Rajesh Bhimani, a young Agariya. “Officials even came to survey the
damage last year, but we have not received any compensation so far.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The risk that Agariyas face
can also increase depending on the variety of salt that they make. “Since
Vadagara is grown just once a year, the risk to Agariyas who grow this variety
is felt more in case a cyclone or rain happens, because their effort of the
entire season is lost,” said Harinesh Pandya, managing trustee of the Agariya
Heetrakshak Manch. “In the case of karkatch, which is a multi-crop, Agariyas
can make more salt in two-month cycles in case one fails.” Pandya explained
that the Manch has been working on enabling vadagara farmers to shift to making
karkatch to reduce the risks they face, and that their efforts had seen some
success.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The organisation is also
encouraging salt-makers to diversify their products to reduce dependence on
salt alone. One such product is the liquid left over after the salt
crystallises, known as bittern. Bittern is rich in magnesium, bromide, and
calcium salts, and can be an input for other industrial use, such as in the
treatment of waste water.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In Surendranagar, some
salt-makers have started selling this bittern. “I have been selling bittern for
the last five years,” Savadia said. “For all my salt pans together, I get
between Rs 40,000 and 50,000 per season.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">As a longer-term solution,
ISMA has been demanding that salt be registered as an agricultural commodity
rather than as a mining product, as it is currently categorised. “Salt is
facing all the impacts of weather and climate, just as agricultural products
face,” Raval said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The change in classification
would ensure that salt is assigned a minimum support price, and can be sold at
marketplaces organised by Agricultural Product Market Committees, which
regulate prices and safeguards producers from exploitation. This would also
allow makers to purchase crop insurance for their salt, explained Jog. “Such
insurance would help salt farmers at times of unseasonal rain and cyclones,”
she said. “It will give a proper policy to assess the damage and compensation.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Agariyas believe this demand
is entirely justified. “We see this as farming only. It is salt farming,” said
Bhimani. “If it is registered as an agricultural product, there will 100% be
benefits to us. So far, all of us who make salt have only been exploited.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">But salt-makers noted that
support from the government only seemed to be dwindling. Dhruna explained that
in earlier years, the state government had an office to oversee the industry,
but that it had since been closed. The office, known as the salt commissioner’s
office, oversaw matters such as quality control and distribution, and was also
responsible for assessing damages “caused to salt works due to natural
calamities and to work out financial assistance to be given to affected salt
works”.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 2016, the Central
government decided to close and restructure the office on the recommendation of
the Department of Economic Affairs. “This was the only caretaker department
focusing on salt in particular, which has been shut, and the industry has been
left in the hands of god,” said Raval. “We have been demanding that the salt
department should be activated again.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In the Rann, Karai Ben took
a break from raking her crystallised salt in the sharp winter sun, her bare
feet white with the saline water she was working in. She pointed to her solar
panels – one of the 12 panels were destroyed in Cyclone Biparjoy. The broken
panel lay on the cracked desert soil a short distance away.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“The rains, storms, and
water from the Narmada, all are increasing over the years,” she said. “But we
cannot do anything to protect this salt when such situations happen, we just
pray that next year, god will give us more salt.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">(This reporting is made
possible with support from Report for the World, an initiative of The Ground Truth
Project.)</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-21400367701228064642024-01-24T09:40:00.000+05:302024-01-24T09:40:02.347+05:30Denied entry into Little Rann of Kutch, Agariyas of Patan allege discrimination in granting permits: Suchak Patel<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Land Conflict Watch: National: Wednesday, 24 Jan 2024.<br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Land Conflict Summary<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Agariyas of the Santalpur
block of Gujarat's Patan district have alleged discrimination by the Forest
Department officials in granting permits to enter the Little Rann of Kutch
(LRK) for salt farming.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In September 2023, the state
government allowed salt pan workers with leases up to 10 acres to continue
their traditional salt production in LRK. Since then, several Agariyas from
Dhandhdhra, Halwad, and Patadi were given permission to enter the LRK, but none
of the 1,200 salt farmers from the Santalpur side of Patan district were
allowed to enter the area.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Agariyas, the traditional
salt farmers, have been harvesting salt in the Little Rann of Kutch for
decades. The typical salt farming season starts around Dushera in October, but
even after two months, the salt farmers were still waiting for the permission.
"The Forest Department told us that they need some time to verify and
finalize the list ... thus we were waiting. We do not have any other source of
livelihood and today sit ideal at home," Narubhai Koli, who has been
farming salt for six generations, from the Santalpur Rann was quoted as saying.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Principal Chief
Conservator of Forests (PCCF) (Wildlife) Nityanand Srivastava said, “We are
allowing only those whose name are there in the settlement report”, though
underlining, only those “eligible for one well” will be permitted to do salt
farming. However, salt farmers claim their names are mentioned in the
government survey and settlement records.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Bharat Singh Dabhi, Lok
Sabha Member from Patan, also wrote a letter to the Chief Minister of Gujarat
highlighting the fact that Agariyas from his constituency have been denied
entry into the LRK despite them being officially listed in government survey and
settlement records. He added that the discrepancy in allowing salt farmers from
one side while denying access to those from another side within the same LRK
raises questions about the Forest Department's operations.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the Gujarat High
Court on January 18, 2024 directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
to submit a reply by 29 January in response to a petition filed by members of
Agariya community. The court emphasised that Agariyas who possess identity
cards, should be permitted to engage in salt farming, as it constitutes their
livelihood. The Court found no valid reason, based on the available records, to
deny them access to the desert.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Survey and Settlement
Report was prepared to seek a grant from the World Bank to conserve
biodiversity of the LRK’s Wild Ass Sanctuary. The report, initiated in
September 1997 and completed in 2016, left out a large number of Agariyas from
the list, prompting their demand for inclusion. Reportedly, only 189 Agariyas
were included in the list for Santalpur block, as against estimates of up to
1,200.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">After the settlement report
was released, representatives of aggrieved Agariyas submitted a memorandum to
the chief minister, attaching historic documents dating back to the British era
and showcasing the community's involvement in salt cultivation. Following
which, on 4 September 2023, the state government decided to allow all
traditional Agariyas to continue salt harvesting upon simple registration, the
verification of which would be done during on-site survey. It was also decided
that the survey and settlement process list would be revised by doing on-site
survey so that seasonal user rights were recognised on a permanent basis.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 1973, approximately 4000
square kilometers of LRK was designated as a Wild Ass Sanctuary (WAS),
protecting the Indian wild ass, exclusively found in the Kutch region of
Gujarat. However, the presence of Agariyas was viewed as a threat to wildlife
protection efforts, leading to eviction notices, restricted access to welfare
schemes, and a lack of livelihood insurance during natural disasters.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Agariyas, however, claim
that there is no conflict between them and wild ass, as census data shows a
significant increase in the wild ass population from 700 in 1973 to 6,082 in
2019.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-17973058929492355102024-01-19T11:59:00.002+05:302024-01-19T11:59:42.993+05:30HC notice over salt farming prohibition in LRK’s Santalpur<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Times of India: Ahmedabad: Friday, 19 Jan 2024.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Gujarat high court on
Thursday issued notices to the authorities concerned after salt pan workers
from Santalpur in the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) complained they are not being
allowed salt farming in the region despite being issued the agariya pothi,
licence for salt farming, in 2008.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Justice V D Nanavati has
sought a reply from the forest authorities and the Patan district collector by
Jan 29 and asked the state government to positively consider the matter and not
to turn away any salt pan worker if they hold a valid agariya pothi.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The petitioners’ counsel,
Anand Yagnik, submitted that the forest officials have been denying salt
cultivation in Santalpur region only, whereas nearly 3,800 families associated
with the same activity in other regions within the wild ass sanctuary of the
LRK Kharagoda, Dhrangadhra, Zinzuwada, Halwad and Maliya are being allowed to
cultivate salt.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He raised the contention
that the salt pan workers of Santalpur region are being discriminated against
by the authorities. It was contended that the petitioners were given agariya
pothi on the recommendation of a high-level committee after a detailed survey.
Though the area was declared a wildlife sanctuary, 3,800 families could
cultivate salt each on a tract of up to 10 acres. Despite the declaration of
the area as a sanctuary, the rights of those using the land have not been
recognized yet even after more than 45 years since the notification.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Moreover, it was also
contended that despite a multi-fold increase in the area of salt pans in the
LRK, the wild ass population also improved from a meagre 362 in 1969 to 4,451
in 2014 and 6,082 in 2020. This shows that salt production activities have not
affected wildlife in this area.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-89396575157275949662024-01-19T11:29:00.004+05:302024-01-19T11:54:41.809+05:30Gujarat HC seeks state’s response as salt pan workers allege discrimination<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 9pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Indian Express: Ahmedabad: Friday, 19 Jan 2024.<br /></span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyk9wRyYIxV478fihyphenhyphen42P_kp_Oq0lZvZ0whbWKYI3feSnmIZo3b5HI_ujfJXT3R-66ECmTPbSJ6ZUWlPRfO6rqQEef3rqiIXg35VUg3LvjbJ_ElVQQjsDsUimoPUzSEfwHcmOrPJ-e-Jb3JClt6JrsW-AbGWTFDfDTyg2sIer5JNZd50Njpx6xUUAzos/s3240/AHRM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2843" data-original-width="3240" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyk9wRyYIxV478fihyphenhyphen42P_kp_Oq0lZvZ0whbWKYI3feSnmIZo3b5HI_ujfJXT3R-66ECmTPbSJ6ZUWlPRfO6rqQEef3rqiIXg35VUg3LvjbJ_ElVQQjsDsUimoPUzSEfwHcmOrPJ-e-Jb3JClt6JrsW-AbGWTFDfDTyg2sIer5JNZd50Njpx6xUUAzos/w398-h350/AHRM.JPG" width="398" /></a></div>The court of Justice
Vaibhavi Nanavati on Thursday issued a notice to the state authorities as well
as the Patan district collector and sought a response from the respondent
parties by January 29, when the court is due to take up the matter next.</b></i></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">The petition has highlighted
that the salt cultivation season stretches from mid-September until April, and
they have been stopped from undertaking cultivation in plots less than 10 acres
in area.<i><b><br /></b></i></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">The Gujarat High Court on
Thursday issued a notice to the state government and its Department of Forest
and Environment, and Labor and Employment Department, over a petition moved by
53 salt pan workers.<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">The petition has highlighted
that the salt cultivation season stretches from mid-September until April, and
they have been stopped from undertaking cultivation in plots less than 10 acres
in area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The petitioners are seeking the
court’s directions to the state authorities to be allowed to cultivate salt.<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">According to the
petitioners, who are traditional agariyas (salt pan workers) hailing from
Santalpur in Patan, they have been cultivating salt in the Santalpur region of
Little Rann of Kutch in Patan. They were issued agariya pothi (document
permitting them cultivation) in the year 2008, based on the recommendation of a
High-Level Empowered Committee and its detailed survey of every land parcel
used for the cultivation of salt in the Little Rann of Kutch, the court was
told.<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">The petitioners are
challenging the action of the state’s Department of Forest and Environment of
not allowing their families to cultivate salt even as the department permitted
about 3,800-odd ‘similarly situated’ traditional agariya families to cultivate
salt in Kharagoda region, Dhangadhra region, Zinjuvada region, Halwad region
and Maliya region of Little Rann of Kutch.<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">The petitioners, represented
by advocate Anand Yagnik, have submitted that the Forest Department’s action of
not permitting the petitioners to cultivate salt has been reasoned on the
ground that the area of cultivation is situated within the Wild Ass Sanctuary
marked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 in the Little Rann of Kutch.
However, the petitioners have pointed out that the other five regions where
about 3,800 traditional agariya families have been permitted to cultivate salt
“is also an integral part of the Wild Ass Sanctuary”.<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">The court of Justice
Vaibhavi Nanavati on Thursday issued a notice to the state authorities as well
as the Patan district collector and sought a response from the respondent
parties by January 29, when the court is due to take up the matter next.<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Traditional agariyas do not
require a license or lease to cultivate up to 10 acres of land for the
production of salt by recommendation of the Salt Expert Committee constituted
by the Government of India after Independence in the year 1948.<br /></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">According to the
petitioners, in a communication dated May 24, 2023, by the Principal Chief
Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), addressing the Deputy Conservator of Forest,
Wild Ass Sanctuary, Dhangadra, it was stated that “to prevent unauthorised salt
pans producing salt and related activities, only those persons to whom the Agar
Card will be issued, can enter in the Wild Ass Sanctuary in the Little Rann of
Kutch to produce salt.”</span></span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-25434782076083777892023-12-29T11:56:00.002+05:302023-12-29T11:56:16.118+05:30Salt farming in Little Rann allowed for only 'eligible' Agariyas: Gujarat govt responds<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Counterview: Ahmedabad: Friday, 29th Dec 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Agariyas of the Santalpur
block of Patan district, Gujarat, have not been allowed to enter the Little
Rann of Kutch (LRK) for salt farming since September 2023. After repeated
representations at the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests' (PCCF's) office,
Agariyas reached the Patan district collector to announce that they were going
to protest against the “discrimination” done by the forest department.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Reacting to the Counterview
story that 1,200 Agariyas are not being allowed to enter LRK in specific areas,
PCCF (wild life) Nityanand Srivastava said, “We are allowing only those whose
name are there in the settlement report”, though underlining, only those
“eligible for one well” will be permitted to do salt farming. This is
necessitated, he added, by the fact that in earlier years, it was noticed,
people employed by non-salt farming sections “were doing salt farming not as a
means of earning but as a business of others”, with many working on “10 to 15
wells”.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Salt cultivation with one
well is possible for up to 10 acres of land.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The process of the Survey
and Settlement Report, prepared in the wake of a World Bank conditionality for
grant to conserve biodiversity of the LRK’s wild ass sanctuary, was initiated
in September 1997 and ended in 2016. Said to be an incomplete survey, it
identified only 189 Agariyas to be included in the list for Santalpur block, as
against<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>estimates of up to 1,200.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A large number of Agariyas
were left out from the survey as they were asked to produce ownership
documents, which traditional Agariyas do not possess, say activists.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“There are lots of gaps in
the Survey and Settlement Report”, believes Harinesh Pandya of the Agariya Heet
Rakshak Manch (AHRM). “LRK is largely an un-surveyed piece of land. It was
identified as survey number zero in 2006. Ironically, the government does not
have revenue record of LRK”.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Importantly, the expert
committee formed by the Government of India in 1948 clearly mentions that small
Agariyas (up to 10-acre of land) do not require any registration or permission
or license. This issue was recognized by even the chief minister’s office in
2008, and directions were given that “suo moto camps should be held to taking
into account the Agariyas' claims.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Large number of Agariyas
were not even aware of the Survey and Settlement process when it was supposedly
carried out.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“This is one reason why, on
4th September 2023, it was decided that the Survey and Settlement Report would
need to be revised after having ‘on-site’ surveys”, Pandya underlined.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-91290850020382495662023-12-28T12:44:00.002+05:302023-12-28T12:44:31.228+05:30Agariyas to protest in Gandhinagar<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Times of India: Gujarat: Thursday, 28th Dec 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Over 1,200 Agariyas, their
families and communities like the Chunvaliya Koli, Sandhi, and Miyana all
belonging to the denotified tribes now face the threat of losing their
livelihoods as the Gujarat forest department bars their entry into the Little
Rann of Kutch. Driven to the brink, the Agariyas have said in a press release
that they now contemplate a to protest before the forest department in
Gandhinagar.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">These landless communities
depend solely on salt harvesting for their sustenance. The Agariyas harvest
salt across a large land mass that spreads across four districts and seven
talukas. On Wednesday several representations were made at Patan district collectorate.
From September to April, the Little Rann transforms into a brine lake and
Agariyas migrate and establish their temporary settlements here to harvest
salt.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“We have been making
repeated representations to both our MLAs as well as to forest department.
However, they even refuse to give us in writing the reason for refusal of
entry,” says Sultan Agariya, one of the representative.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-67162613934816278072023-12-28T12:33:00.001+05:302023-12-28T12:33:29.017+05:30Refusal to allow salt farming in Little Rann 'pushes' 1200 Gujarat Agariyas to margins<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Counterview: Gujarat: Thursday, 28th Dec 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b><i>Unemployment is one of the
severe and burning issues of our time. The government is celebrating Vibrant
Gujarat, where one of the focuses for attracting investment is generating
employment opportunities.</i></b><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQ3JDVyRUspbeJktklEOzWF-LZFzcJxt6AMQpeOgC6nmC8jsgp9RsdrNK3vYsbf_xtN-uI-CW4HsDTgVFHn1-t9YqtvwGs6Y1M-6SjDV873kThAGcH3FqthPFrWkYKswP_mhUZnmZDp54Kh_NXHh0ziYCeaaU50h2G0PmUE-1dV6FW4XlBKhbzUhPzo0/s642/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="642" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQ3JDVyRUspbeJktklEOzWF-LZFzcJxt6AMQpeOgC6nmC8jsgp9RsdrNK3vYsbf_xtN-uI-CW4HsDTgVFHn1-t9YqtvwGs6Y1M-6SjDV873kThAGcH3FqthPFrWkYKswP_mhUZnmZDp54Kh_NXHh0ziYCeaaU50h2G0PmUE-1dV6FW4XlBKhbzUhPzo0/w400-h225/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agariyas represent to Patan district collector</td></tr></tbody></table>Surprisingly, the forest
department of Gujarat has snatched away livelihood of more than 1,200 Agariyas
or salt farmers by banning their entry into the Little Rann of Kutch. They all
are part of communities consisting such as Chunvaliya Koli, Sandhi, Miyana, all
de-notified tribes, mostly landless and dependent solely on salt harvesting for
their bread and butter.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">By not allowing them to
enter the Little Rann, the forest department has pushed these communities
further towards marginalization, and probably to hunger.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Gujarat produces above 76%
of India's total salt production. Agariyas, traditional salt farmers of
Gujarat, have been harvesting salt in the Little Rann, which contributes around
20% of the total produce. They have a history of 600 years of salt harvesting
in the Little Rann. Its evidence is well documented in historical documents
like the Saurastra Gazettier and the Kathiyavad Sarva Sangrah.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Agariyas migrate to the
Little Rann, along with their families in the month of September, and their
farming season continues till April or May. The Little Rann is a 5,000 sq km
area between Kutch, Patan, Morbi and Surendranagar districts which, turns into
a water body for four months of the year and a mud dry desert for 8 months.
Temperature during the day rises up to 50 degrees centigrade, while during
night it falls to 4 or 5 degrees. They toil hard in scorching heat and
shivering cold to add taste to our meal.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Little Rann was declared
Wild Ass Sanctuary in 1973. Wild asses have been conserved very well here, and
its population has grown to over 6,000 in the past 50 years.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">However, the government has
failed to undertake survey and settlement of rights of the Agariyas and other
communities as the per provision of the Wild Life Protection Act, because of
which they is still termed as "illegal" encroachers and are given
notices of eviction periodically. Such unrecognised status poses threat of
eviction and loss of livelihood in the community.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Last year, the Agariyas were
evicted from certain parts of the Little Rann. The sanctuary department
declared that only those Agariyas whose name is included in the survey and
settlement report would be allowed. That resulted is the exclusion of 90% of the
traditional Agariyas.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The sanctuary department
asked for documentary evidence of the possession of land. The fact that the
Little Rann has always been an unsurveyed land, and even the government does
not have revenue record of this area, was neglected while pressing Agariyas for
producing documentary evidence of their ownership or possession of land.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A few months back, Agariyas
across 4 districts and 7 talukas got together and made series of
representations to their elected representatives and to the administration at
district and state levels. They started meeting their MLAs and the ministers
concerned. They also made representations to the National Green Tribunal (NGT)
and the High Court, where cases regarding the Little Rann were being heard.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Finally, on the 4th of
September 2023, a decision was made by the state, that all traditional Agariyas
would be allowed to continue salt harvesting upon simple registration, the
verification of which would be done during on-site survey. It was also decided
that the survey and settlement process list would be revised by doing on-site
survey so that seasonal user rights were recognised on a permanent basis.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The registration process was
done in all the blocks, and in September many Agariyas moved to the Little
Rann. Surprisingly, for no reason, the Agariyas from Santalpur and Adesar areas
were asked not to go the Little Rann and were told that their decision would be
taken soon.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">"The forest department
told us that they need some time to verify and finalize the list ... thus we
were waiting. However, the forest department has still not allowing us to enter
the Rann areas. We do not have any other source of livelihood and today sit
ideal at home," says Narubhai Koli from the Santalpur Rann.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“While our fellow Agariyas
in Dhangadhra, Patadi, Halvad, Maliya, blocke have already moved into the Rann
two months back and their salt harvesting has started, we are not allowed to
even make our salt farms ready. When decision was done for the entire Little
Rann, we do not understand why such discrimination is done only with us?” he
asserts.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Narubhai is farming salt
since 6 generations and is disappointed with such dual and selective approach
of the government. He adds, "We have been making repeated representations
to both our MLA as well as to the forest department. However, they even refuse
to give us anything in writing on the reason for refusal of entry.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Another traditional Agariya
Sultanbhai narrates, “When asked under the Right to Information (RTI) for
transferring application from the state to the district forest officer (DFO),
the latter declared that the decision for Santalpur and Adesar is completely in
the hands of Gandhinagar officials."<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">"So our request is
toggling between the Dhrangadhra DFO office and the principal chief conservator
of forest’s (PCCF’s) office, Gandhinagar”, he adds.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">With no other optional left,
the Agariyas are now planning to go on protest before the forest department,
Gandhinagar.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-84687273044640383432023-12-28T12:18:00.000+05:302023-12-28T12:18:15.199+05:30Gujarat : Salt Pan Workers Threaten Protest In Gandhinagar<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">The Blunt Times: Gujarat: Thursday, 28th Dec 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><i><b>Adding to the dismay, the
workers highlighted the contrasting scenario where counterparts from other
regions Dhangadhra, Patadi, Halvad, and Maliya have commenced salt harvesting
two months ago while they aren't even permitted to prepare their salt farms.
The discriminatory treatment baffles Narubhai, reflecting on the selective
approach by the authorities.</b></i><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Tensions rise in Gandhinagar
as Salt Pan Workers from Santalpur and Adesar villages voice their agitation
against the Forest Department’s denial of entry to the Little Rann of Kutch for
salt manufacturing. Expressing their plight, workers submitted a memorandum to
the Patan Collector and threaten to stage a protest in Gandhinagar if immediate
action isn’t taken.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Narubhai Koli, a seasoned
salt farmer from Santalpur Rann, expressed deep disappointment at the
unexpected denial of access to the Rann. “The Forest Department’s delay in
allowing entry has left us in limbo. We have no other means of livelihood and
are left idle at home,” Narubhai lamented, highlighting the plight of numerous
families reliant on salt farming for generations.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“We do not understand why
such discrimination is done only with us? We are disappointed with such a dual
and selective approach of the government.” Added Koli.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Adding to the dismay, the
workers highlighted the contrasting scenario where counterparts from other
regions Dhangadhra, Patadi, Halvad, and Maliya have commenced salt harvesting
two months ago while they aren’t even permitted to prepare their salt farms.
The discriminatory treatment baffles Narubhai, reflecting on the selective
approach by the authorities.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Sultanbhai, another
aggrieved Traditional Agariya, emphasized their persistent attempts to seek
clarification, only to face refusals and a lack of written explanations for the
entry denial. Attempts to acquire information through RTI have hit a dead end with
bureaucratic transfers, creating confusion and further aggravating their
plight.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“We have been making
repeated representations to both our MLA as well as to Forest Dept. However,
they even refuse to give us anything in writing the reason for refusal of
entry.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Said Sultanbhai, Traditional
Agariya<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">As frustration mounts and
avenues for dialogue dwindle, the Agariyas are now contemplating a strike in
front of the Forest Department office in Gandhinagar. The escalating tension
underscores the pressing need for resolution and fairness in access to the
Little Rann of Kutch, a vital source of livelihood for these communities.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-42026510793226913012023-12-12T13:24:00.000+05:302023-12-12T13:24:49.182+05:30कच्छ के छोटे रण में सौर ऊर्जा से नमक बनाकर अगरिया हो रहे सशक्त<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">News Nation: Ahmedabad: Tuesday, 25th Nov 2023.<br /></span></b><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">गुजरात में कच्छ के छोटे
रण (एलआरके) के सूखे इलाके में</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">,
</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">अगरियाओं के बीच एक शांत
क्रांति हो रही है। यहां के किसान नमक का उप्तादन कर रहे हैं। वे देश के
अंतर्देशीय नमक उत्पादन में </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">30</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;"> प्रतिशत का योगदान देते हैं।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">भूमिगत नमक भंडार के लिए
प्रसिद्ध यह क्षेत्र</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">पारंपरिक ईंधन-आधारित तरीकों
से टिकाऊ सौर ऊर्जा की ओर एक परिवर्तनकारी बदलाव का गवाह बन रहा है।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">एक दशक पहले</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">अगरिया लोग धरती के नीचे से पानी निकालने के लिए दिन-रात
चलने वाले डीजल पंपों पर बहुत अधिक निर्भर थे। इसके परिणामस्वरूप न केवल उच्च ईंधन
लागत हुई</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">इससे उनके इनपुट खर्च का </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">70</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;"> प्रतिशत खर्च हो जाता था</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">बल्कि
पंपों के निरंतर शोर और जहरीले धुएं के बीच रहना भी पड़ता था।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">कड़ी मेहनत के बावजूद</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">किसानों को उनके नमक के लिए खुदरा मूल्य का केवल एक अंश
प्राप्त होता था</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">इससे अल्प लाभ और भारी ऋण का
चक्र शुरू हो गया।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">क्षेत्र में गैर-लाभकारी
संस्थाओं का हस्तक्षेप एक महत्वपूर्ण मोड़ साबित हुआ। </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">2008</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;"> में</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">,
</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">एलआरके की विशिष्ट
आवश्यकताओं के अनुरूप सौर पंपों का परीक्षण शुरू हुआ। ये सोलर पंप गेम चेंजर रहे
हैं।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">आज</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">एलआरके में </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">7,000</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;"> अगरिया परिवारों में से
अनुमानित </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">80</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;"> प्रतिशत ने सौर प्रौद्योगिकी
को अपनाया है</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">इससे महंगे और पर्यावरण के लिए
हानिकारक डीजल पर उनकी निर्भरता कम हो गई है।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">सौर ऊर्जा पर इस स्विच
का प्रभाव अगरियाओं की कहानियों में स्पष्ट है। साठ वर्षीय भानुबेन</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">जिन्होंने अपने जीवनकाल में नमकीन पानी निकालने के तरीकों
का विकास देखा है</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">बताती हैं कि कैसे सौर पंपों
पर स्विच करने से उनके परिवार की ईंधन खपत और लागत में भारी कमी आई</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">इससे उनकी बचत बढ़ गई।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">लाभ बढ़ने से परिवार
अपने प्रवासी पैटर्न को बदलने में सक्षम हो गए। अब पुरुष प्रतिदिन नमक क्षेत्रों
की यात्रा करते हैं</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">इससे उनके बच्चों को एक स्थिर
वातावरण में अपनी शिक्षा जारी रखने का मौका मिलता है।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">सौर पंपों ने रण में
रहने की कुछ कठोर स्थितियों को भी कम कर दिया है</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">जो
एक वन्यजीव अभयारण्य है</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">जो अपने अत्यधिक तापमान के लिए
जाना जाता है।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">पीने योग्य पानी और
बुनियादी सुविधाओं की कमी</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">विशेष रूप से महिलाओं के लिए
चुनौतीपूर्ण</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">अब आंशिक रूप से कम हो गई है
क्योंकि कनुबेन जैसे परिवार अपने गांवों में अधिक बार जाने का खर्च उठा सकते हैं।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">सौर ऊर्जा में परिवर्तन
केवल आर्थिक लाभ के बारे में नहीं है</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">;
</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">यह समुदाय के भीतर
सामाजिक गतिशीलता को बदलने के बारे में है। अगरिया लोग</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">जिन्होंने एक बार स्थानीय व्यापारियों के दबाव में झुक गए
थे</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">, </span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">अब अपने नमक के लिए बेहतर कीमतों पर बातचीत करने के
लिए सशक्त हैं।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">यह नया आत्मविश्वास कम
परिचालन लागत और बढ़ी हुई बचत से पैदा हुआ है।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">सौर ऊर्जा अपनाने की
दिशा में अगरियाओं की यात्रा आशा की किरण है। यह उदाहरण देता है कि कैसे टिकाऊ
प्रथाओं को अपनाने से गहन सामाजिक-आर्थिक परिवर्तन हो सकते हैं और सशक्तिकरण व
सामुदायिक एकजुटता की भावना को बढ़ावा मिल सकता है।<br /></span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Mangal",serif; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;">डिस्क्लेमरः यह आईएएनएस
न्यूज फीड से सीधे पब्लिश हुई खबर है. इसके साथ न्यूज नेशन टीम ने किसी तरह की कोई
एडिटिंग नहीं की है. ऐसे में संबंधित खबर को लेकर कोई भी जिम्मेदारी न्यूज एजेंसी
की ही होगी.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-40156890043368140082023-12-12T13:18:00.002+05:302023-12-12T13:18:27.440+05:30Agariyas shine a light on solar-powered salt making at Little Rann of Kutch<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Daijiworld: Ahmedabad: Tuesday, 25th Nov 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In the arid expanse of the
Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) in Gujarat, a quiet revolution is taking place among
the Agariyas, the traditional salt farmers contributing 30 per cent to India’s
inland salt production.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">This region, renowned for
its underground brine reserves vital for salt production, is witnessing a
transformative shift from traditional fuel-based methods to sustainable solar
energy.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A decade ago, the Agariyas
relied heavily on diesel pumps, operating day and night, to extract the brine
from beneath the earth. This not only resulted in high fuel costs, consuming
70% of their input expenses, but also meant living amidst the relentless noise
and toxic fumes of the pumps.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Despite their hard work, the
farmers received a mere fraction of the retail price for their salt, leading to
a cycle of meagre profits and heavy debts.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The intervention of
non-profits in the region marked a turning point. In 2008, trials with solar
pumps tailored to the unique needs of the LRK began. These solar pumps have
been a game-changer.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Today, an estimated 80% of
the 7,000 Agariya families in LRK have adopted solar technology, reducing their
reliance on costly and environmentally harmful diesel.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The impact of this switch to
solar energy is palpable in the stories of the Agariyas. Sixty-year-old
Bhanuben, who has witnessed the evolution of brine extraction methods over her
lifetime, shares how the switch to solar pumps drastically reduced her family's
fuel consumption and costs, thereby increasing their savings.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The benefits extend beyond
economics. Families have been able to alter their migratory patterns, with the
men travelling to the salt pans daily, allowing their children to continue
their education in a stable environment.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The solar pumps have also
alleviated some of the harsh living conditions in the Rann, a wildlife
sanctuary known for its extreme temperatures.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The lack of potable water
and basic facilities, particularly challenging for women, is now partially
mitigated as families like Kanuben's can afford more frequent visits to their
villages.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The transition to solar
energy is not just about economic gains; it's about altering the social
dynamics within the community. The Agariyas, once resigned to the dictates of
the local traders, are now empowered to negotiate better prices for their salt.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">This newfound confidence
stems from reduced operational costs and increased savings, enabling them to
look beyond mere survival.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Agariyas' journey
towards solar energy adoption is a beacon of hope. It exemplifies how embracing
sustainable practices can lead to profound socio-economic changes, fostering a
sense of empowerment and community cohesion.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-22685842398333984422023-09-18T16:11:00.003+05:302023-09-18T16:11:49.034+05:30Saltpan workers debarred from entering Little Rann write to Gujarat CM requesting state intervention: By Himanshu Bhayani<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Down to Earth: Delhi: Thursday 20 July 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><b><i>Issues pertaining to the
settlement survey have not been addressed in the last 50 years, says memorandum</i></b><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sU_0hQgRTSCCzj9HO6oxT_wg5bpGWaA5-z_Fo2mgdvNM-DwO8srjqArSG4IznSESRkCqwKDcg7MN1AFttabBuiL0jz8V87He0NurmJsn__9KprZpHweviaRhk5IFiSRfIL6UsPpmRGPH45QTSXHqE11lErSVp2St9XvJ4upynDQI_NkkfJMXWcFALR8/s1024/0.50532500_1689847892_istock-1469524605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sU_0hQgRTSCCzj9HO6oxT_wg5bpGWaA5-z_Fo2mgdvNM-DwO8srjqArSG4IznSESRkCqwKDcg7MN1AFttabBuiL0jz8V87He0NurmJsn__9KprZpHweviaRhk5IFiSRfIL6UsPpmRGPH45QTSXHqE11lErSVp2St9XvJ4upynDQI_NkkfJMXWcFALR8/w401-h267/0.50532500_1689847892_istock-1469524605.jpg" width="401" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saltpan worker representatives claim that wildass population in the area<br />wouldn't have grown if there was human-wildlife conflict. Photo: iStock</td></tr></tbody></table>A group of saltpan workers
(locally called agariyas) made a representation to Gujarat Chief Minister
Bhupendrabhai Patel July 18, 2023 under the aegis of the Agariya Heet Rakshak
Manch (AHRM). They requested state intervention over forest department officials
issuing instructions barring their entry in the Little Rann of Kutch.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Members of Koli, Sandhi and
Miyana communities residing in 100-125 villages surrounding the Little Rann of
Kutch areas under North Gujarat, Kutch and Saurashtra regions are dependent on
salt cultivation in the area. The saltpan workers from the districts of Patan,
Kutch, Morbi and Surendranagar have been in the profession for 600-700 years,
even since British rule.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 1972, 4,953.70 square
kilometres of the Little Rann of Kutch was declared a wild ass (Ghudkhar)
sanctuary vide notifications issued under state laws, including Gujarat
Wildlife and Birds Conservation Act, 1963.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">After that, a settlement
survey was undertaken in 1997, based on which saltpan workers were issued
permits and land on lease to cultivate salt in the Little Rann of Kutch.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">But the Gujarat government’s
industries and mines department, which has missed on listing several
traditional agariyas in the survey underaken in 2007. They are now demanding to
get enrolled in the same settlement survey books.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In the latest memorandum to
the chief minister, the representatives of the agrieved agariyas have attached
documents of historic value dating back to the British era of the community
members engaged in salt cultivation.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">They have also incorporated
memorandum from the multiple representations made by the left-out agariyas to
concerned government offices to get themselves enlisted.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In context to the ongoing
pleas in the Gujarat High Court as well as in the National Green Tribunal
alleging land-poaching activities in the Little Rann of Kutch, for which the
forest department needs to submit the report on the procedures done in the same
matter, the department officials conducted area-wise meetings with agariyas.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Amid an ongoing legal battle
altogether in different matters and even as the survey-settlement report is yet
under the state government's consideration and scrutiny, forest department
officials referring to same report, in the area-wise meetings issued instructions
mentioning that those agariyas whose names are not listed vide the
survey-settlement report will be denied entry into the Little Rann of Kutch
area from next season.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Above orders from forest
department officials have compelled them to make representation to the highest
office in the state that is the Chief Minister's Office in Gujarat.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The issues pertaining to the
settlement survey have not been addressed in the last 50 years, the
representatives highlighted.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">They also pointed out that
the number of wild ass in the area rose to 6,082 in 2019 from 700 in 1973,
according to census. If the man-animal conflict actually existed, which has
been cited as a reason for the entry restriction, the wild ass population wouldn’t
have seen this growth.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Several bodies representing
saltpan workers also noted that saltpan workers use 6 per cent of the total
land area for salt cultivation in Little Rann of Kutch, which is negligible in
quantum and space.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">There have been instances in
the past, where saltpan workers were either denied entry or were asked to move
out from the site, by the concerned agencies, which following some political
pressure used to settle down.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Pankti Jog, volunteer with
AHRM, explained the reason why the matter has resurfaced. She added:<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">There are almost 8,000
families who engage in salt cultivation activities in the Little Rann of Kutch.
Now out of 100-125 villages, the forest department officials conducted meetings
at 16 villages and 95 per cent of the names of agariyas were struck out. This
raised concerns and so agariyas were left with no option but to represent their
voice to the highest authority in the state.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">While the survey-settlement
report is yet under the state government scrutiny and consideration, how can
the poor salt-pan workers be punished, in some other matters such as
land-poaching, which have been piling up in the court since past few decades,
Jog questions.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“This matter is under
dispute since last 50 years, since the area has been declared as Wildlife
Sanctuary in 1973,” added Jog. “So now, we are asking the highest authority in
the state to intervene into the matter and let these people earn their traditional
and ancestral livelihood, which they have been practicing since the last 6-7
centuries.”<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Officials of the Gujarat
forest department were not accessible or available to comment or provide
details regarding the allegations made in the memorandum submitted by AHRM.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Saltpan workers residing in
nearby villages surrounding Little Rann of Kutch camp for eight months after
monsoon season in the area, where sources of salt and sweet waters deposit.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">After the water evaporates,
salt deposits are cultivated to get rock or slump salt (locally called gangda
mithu), which is sold to the business fraternity engaged in the selling of this
raw salt.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Usually agariyas take
financial aid from the same business fraternity to camp and cultivate the salt
from the area. Once the salt is harvested, it is sold to the same business
fraternity from whom they have taken financial aid or loan.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Other concerns presented in
the memorandum included the fact that most of the agariyas listed in the
settlement survey report are not alive today.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The co-operative societies
operated by agariyas have gone bankrupt and have no locus standi (legal
standing), they stressed.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Few claims have been passed,
which are stuck following the Gujarat High Court verdicts, for cases where the
land lease has expired and not been renewed, the representatived pointed out.
So, even the approved claims do not stand of any value, they added.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The state government has
already issued Class-1 Identity Cards (known as agariyapothi) and have
channelised several welfare schemes for agariyas and their families, including
education, health, drinking water through the state-empowered committee for the
salt industry.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In the memorandum submitted
to the Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office, the agariyas have further requested
that the state continues validating the “seasonal community user rights” and do
the needful in the same direction.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-66081021605205056892023-09-14T11:22:00.000+05:302023-09-14T11:22:22.288+05:30Renewed hope for Gujarat’s salt pan workers as eviction threat eases in Little Rann; By Maulik Pathak<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hindustan Times: National: Tuesday, 12 September 2023.</span></span></b><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllW3Qng8rLj5zQ9bWHFVUo1IOcSY9rc6eS6nUtLePJTTdG_sCmqe-1ClhuvwLNXsT8odRs5azobTUPeJNcpEQO0dnfgdzxyE-0GCMSTXv5vkK6WWXVoB9eh1wlEvaK-PhJby2FDQrfdOCgX7qSt0XPykE-k23MuplJvje3Liq5NRuU0XSzLOs9rjpBVw/s3622/Namak%20ka%20Boj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2255" data-original-width="3622" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllW3Qng8rLj5zQ9bWHFVUo1IOcSY9rc6eS6nUtLePJTTdG_sCmqe-1ClhuvwLNXsT8odRs5azobTUPeJNcpEQO0dnfgdzxyE-0GCMSTXv5vkK6WWXVoB9eh1wlEvaK-PhJby2FDQrfdOCgX7qSt0XPykE-k23MuplJvje3Liq5NRuU0XSzLOs9rjpBVw/w399-h248/Namak%20ka%20Boj.jpg" width="399" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Traditional salt farmers of Little Rann of Kutch Gujarat</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Gujarat government on
September 4 decided to permit salt pan workers holding leases up to 10 acres to
continue their age-old tradition of salt production in the Little Rann of Kutch</span></b></i></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Agariya community
(salt-pan workers) in Gujarat, who had been living under the shadow of
impending eviction for the last few months, heaved a huge sigh of relief on
September 4 as the state government decided to permit salt pan workers holding
leases up to 10 acres to continue their age-old tradition of salt production in
the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK).<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">These workers, often
marginalised and economically vulnerable, had in February this year received
eviction notices from the forest department that could upend their lives and
disrupt an industry that has been an integral part of Gujarat’s economy for centuries.
The LRK region is declared as a Wild Ass Sanctuary and the salt-making activity
by Agariyas was termed illegal, as per the earlier notice.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The February letter said
that illegal encroachments by new salt farms in recent years needs to be
immediately stopped. Also, all the Agariyas whose rights are not recognised
under an official survey and its settlement process would be evicted. There
were less than 600 Agariyas as per the government records.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The LRK land remained
un-surveyed since independence and hence was allotted single survey number
‘Zero’. The total areas of the Wild Ass Sanctuary as per notifications of 1973
and 1978 is 4,952.81 sq km, which is 4,95,281 hectares. The population of Wild
Ass was around 700 when the sanctuary was declared, and they have steadily
risen to over 6,000 today.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“The latest notification has
given a fresh lease of life to at least 6,000-7,000 Agariya families in LRK who
have been making salt as per traditional methods. On September 4, the salt pan
workers had a meeting with senior officials of the state government where we
were assured that the interests of the Agariyas will be taken care of,” said
Pankti Jog, an activist at Agariya Hitrakshak Manch, a collective group of
salt-pan workers in LRK.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A senior government official
said that a meeting of MLAs including Kantibhai Amrutiya of Morbi, Lanvingji
Solanki of Radhanpur, PK Parmar of Dasada and Kirit Patel of Patan was held
with chief minister Bhupendra Patel to try and work out a solution for the
benefit of Agariyas, following which the notification was issued by the forest
department.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">HT has seen a copy of the
notification issued by the forest department on September 4, which stipulates
that Agariyas possessing plots of less than 10 acres will be permitted to enter
the vast desert expanse for their salt-making activities.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHAWFDAAOjZLmn0LrOHf6Ujd_1DcfuVosil1e2-jqJEy4W6hq5L_noL-7Hk4COuRSpJpqOOw71xc1aBP0T3wdexCR9V82ssytKcnvb0g4s7YVQlwGcbTvmHzR-qW0hpY6Rhp0Eo-fpQhP_5Epv_fPTiblgRT0o0qWiyyRuqJOYm2TxcNa496wvXBKADo/s550/The-Gujarat-forest-department-in-February-this-yea_1694518350800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="550" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHAWFDAAOjZLmn0LrOHf6Ujd_1DcfuVosil1e2-jqJEy4W6hq5L_noL-7Hk4COuRSpJpqOOw71xc1aBP0T3wdexCR9V82ssytKcnvb0g4s7YVQlwGcbTvmHzR-qW0hpY6Rhp0Eo-fpQhP_5Epv_fPTiblgRT0o0qWiyyRuqJOYm2TxcNa496wvXBKADo/w400-h225/The-Gujarat-forest-department-in-February-this-yea_1694518350800.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gujarat forest department in February this year sent eviction
notices<br />to the salt pan workers inLittle Rann of Kutch<br />saying that the
region is a Wild Ass Sanctuary and the salt-making<br />activity there was
illegal. (HT Photo)</td></tr></tbody></table></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Typically, the Agariyas
commence their desert operations on September 1. However, this year, their
plans were abruptly thwarted as the State Reserve Police (SRP) was deployed
prior to that, preventing their entry due to the looming eviction notice, according
to Jog.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Following the February
letter, the forest department officials clamped down on the Agariya community
in the Little Rann, breaking down solar panels, their stands and controllers of
over 50 Agariyas. On the one hand, the government introduces schemes for the
Agariyas like solar subsidy and on the other hand they restrict their entry in
LRK,” said Jog.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The LRK has dual
characteristics that of a wetland and a desert. From June to September, the
entire desert gets submerged in rainwater as well as seawater, halting all
salt-making activities here. Fishing activity is carried out during these four
months.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Rajubhai Kansagara, a
43-year-old Agariya from Kharaghoda Rann, said that merchants had been hesitant
to establish a fixed price per tonne of salt for this season in the Little Rann
of Kutch, primarily because of the looming eviction notice. Additionally,
people refrained from making investments and extending loans due to the
uncertainty created by the eviction notice, he remarked.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He said that more than 7,000
would enter LRK over the next 10-15 days.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Little Rann of Kutch
stands as a producer of approximately 60 lakh tonnes of salt annually. What
sets apart the Vadagara (crystal) salt, harvested within this arid expanse, is
its unique origin it emerges from the briny waters hidden beneath the desert’s
surface. A remarkable aspect of this salt production is that it adheres to
traditional, chemical-free methods, relying entirely on skilled hands. The
Agariya community dedicates eight months of the year to extracting and crafting
these pristine, sizable salt crystals, with many adopting sustainable practices
like harnessing solar energy.<br /></span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Switch to solar energy<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Solar technology has
brought a glow to our lives. Five years ago, we were leading an impoverished
life, caught in a debt trap for generations. People were leaving this business
as there was no money to make. Today the situation has changed, more people are
joining this traditional salt making business,” said Kansagara who lives in a
makeshift house with his family of four members in the desert. His two sons
live in a village on the periphery of the desert. One of them works with a bank
while another has a government job, he added.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Kansagara, who saved ₹3 lakh
last salt-making season after making a switch from costly diesel, hopes to earn
about ₹7-8 lakh this time around. In the last three years, after he made the
switch to solar from diesel, he has purchased two pre-owned trucks and two
pre-owned tanker trucks for filling liquid.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Last salt-making season,
Kansagara produced 2,000 tonnes of salt and sold at around ₹520 per tonne. This
is more than double the price at which he had sold in 2018 when he produced
salt using only diesel. Before 2018, Kansagara says he barely managed to make
money and was caught in a web of indebtedness.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Earlier he used to harvest
one ‘Patta’ or saltpan that produced about 500-600 tonnes but last season he
harvested four ‘Pattas’ due to solar power.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The process in the LRK
involves using diesel pumps to draw brine out of the ground and spread it in
salt pans to enable the sun to evaporate the water and produce salt.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A bountiful harvest of
inland salt backed by a rise in demand from the chemical sector that has seen a
revival post Covid downfall, the Agariyas are reaping the benefits of the
switch to renewable energy from costly diesel in this harsh desert.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In the last five years, more
than 5,000-5,500 solar panels have been installed for salt production, covering
over 50% of total 8,000 families living here currently, who make LRK their
temporary homes for about eight months. From buying tractors and trucks to
investing in gold, the Agariyas have seen their economic situation improving
because of solar.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Agariyas, a de-notified
tribe, earlier got less than 2% of the final price paid by the domestic users.
The reason for this exploitation by traders and others was that salt making is
considered illegal here as it falls in a protected sanctuary area that is the
only natural abode for the Indian Wild Ass (Equus hemionus Khur). Hence
availing finance was a challenge.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 2017, the Gujarat
Industries Department came up with an 80 per cent subsidy scheme for solar
pumps for Agariyas. A back-end subsidy requires the salt-makers to buy a solar
pump and then apply to the government for a subsidy. The cost of a solar panels
kit with 3 KV power is about ₹1.8 lakh while for 5 KV power, it is about ₹2.25
lakh.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">More than 4,000 Agariyas
have availed themselves of the government scheme while many including Kansagara
have bought installed solar panels by directly purchasing at market rates.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">This clean energy option,
away from the grid-connected electricity, is however providing a breakthrough
for hundreds of impoverished Agariyas in LRK, giving them better livelihood.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Before the state government
scheme, NGOs like Ahmedabad based Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and
Vikas Centre for Development (VCD) worked with Agariyas and helped them install
solar pumps by devising easy finance schemes. Both SEWA and Vikas would have
helped install at least 1,000 solar pumps in the region.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">On February 6, former US
secretary of state Hillary Clinton announced a Global Climate Resilience Fund
of USD 50 million dollars for women to fight climate change in association with
the SEWA foundation.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Clinton visited salt pan
workers in the LRK near Kuda village in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district and
learnt from them the process of salt production and hardships faced by them.
“The fund will empower women and communities to fight climate change and help
provide new livelihood resources and education,” she said addressing the salt
pan workers.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“There has been a drastic
change in five years and the reason for this is solar energy. The quality of
yield has improved, salt farmers can take multiple crops in a season with
better biproduct recovery. Their requirement for working capital has come down
drastically. Today, Agariya women are buying gold ornaments, renovating their
houses in the villages, sending their children for higher studies to city areas
and even inviting DJs for wedding of their children,” said Harinesh Pandya,
managing trustee of NGO Agariya Heet-Rakshak Manch, which works in the LRK and
has about 6,000 Agariyas as its members.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">While a major part of LRK
falls in Surendranagar district of Saurashtra, it covers five districts
including Kutch, Patan, Morbi and Banaskantha with more than 250 villages on
its periphery.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Earlier, the Agariyas used
to spend 50-70% of their annual income procuring diesel for each salt
production season. By using a hybrid system based on solar and diesel,
purchased on loans, they can increase their annual net income to ₹35,000-50,000
per saltpan. The diesel pumps are used mainly in the evening after the sunset.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Once the equipment loan is
fully paid off, annual net income can increase ₹1 to ₹1.5 lakh, depending on
the price and quality of salt. Also, by installing a solar pump with higher
power, an Agariya can run multiple salt pans. Also using solar reduces other
costs including wear and tear and the cost of lubricants.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Sixty-year-old Devabhai
Savadiya, who was born in the LRK and represents the fourth generation of salt
makers here, switched from diesel to solar four years ago to avail government
subsidy.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“I had a loan of ₹1.25 lakh
then and we hardly managed to save anything except taking care of our expenses
while living in the LRK for eight months. For the remaining four months we went
back to our village and worked as farm labourers or took up some other odd
jobs. I produced 2,000 tonnes in the last season and managed to earn ₹2 lakh. I
have repaid all my loans,” said Savadiya who lives with a family of four in a
makeshift house in Fatehpur Rann area of LRK.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The price of salt produced
by the Agariyas is fixed ahead of the start of salt-making season in most
cases, but in some cases, they are dependent on the market movement and decided
towards the end.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Lakhabhai Jedani, who had
given up salt-making since 2001 and worked as a farm labourer in a village in
Surendranagar district, last year returned to LRK to make a living by producing
salt using the clean energy option. “I have a family of fifteen and I find it
difficult to support them. I belong to family of traditional salt makers and
know how to make salt so I have returned to LRK for better prospects using
solar,” he said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">There is a rush in LRK in
the last few years with more people joining the profession. Also, there is a
lot of demand from industrial chemical units, many of which have come up near
LRK in the last few years. The Agariyas can also earn ₹20,000- ₹30,000 and more
by selling the huge quantity of water that is left behind after making salt to
the industries.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Four to five years ago
there were about 5,000 Agariya families and their population kept floating.
Today it has gone up to 8,000 families. The Agariyas who earned ₹150-200 per
tonne of salt earlier, now earn up to ₹600-700 per tonne,” Bharat Somera, a
salt pan worker and a member of Agariya Heetrakshak Manch.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-67021358640871195662023-09-12T09:52:00.003+05:302023-09-12T09:52:59.495+05:30Govt to conduct survey of salt workers<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Times of India: Ahmedabad: Tuesday, 12 September 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">To bring a permanent
solution to the issue of salt farmers’ user rights in the Little Rann of Kutch
(LRK), the state revenue department will conduct a comprehensive survey and
settlement process of all salt producers working on salt pans of ten acres or less.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Representatives of Agariya
Hitrakshak Manch, an NGO working for the welfare of agariyas or salt farmers,
called this a balanced decision that will ensure livelihood of the workers as
well as environmental conservation. There are about 8,000 families of traditional
salt farmers who work in the LRK in addition to some 1,500 fishermen who earn
their livelihood from it. Earlier this week, on Sunday, the forest department
had posted SRP personnel along the LRK periphery preventing salt pan workers
from entering the sanctuary.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“The matter was brought to
the notice of elected representatives and a representation was made to the
government, after which the workers were allowed. The decision to conduct a
survey and settlement process and subsequently grant user rights to salt farmers
is a welcome step. The workers, the environment and the wildlife will benefit
from it,” said Harinesh Pandya, president of the Agariya Hitrakshak Manch.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“This is a balanced decision
between conservation and ensuring livelihood. Traditional agariyas had been
left out of the survey and settlement process. They will get user rights once
the survey is complete,” said Pankti Jog, who is also associated with the
Agariya Hitrakshak Manch.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-57386365502706474472023-07-20T09:50:00.004+05:302023-07-20T09:50:39.203+05:30Agariyas to be issued ID cards to access salt pans in LRK<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Times of India: Ahmedabad: Thursday, 20 July 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">It was in February that the
principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) issued a letter on
prohibiting “illegal” salt farms inside the wild ass sanctuary.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">After several months of
appeals from the agariya community, which has been involved in salt farming in
the Little Rann for centuries and is now facing a threat of eviction, had met
the state environment minister and chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday,
seeking a solution.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The community got a breather
when the state government’s joint expert committee on Wednesday filed its
report before the National Green Tribunal, which took suo motu cognizance of
the little Rann of Kutch sanctuary.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The report accepted that the
Agariyas and the protected wild ass population had been living together for
centuries and that the animals do not face threat from them.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The joint expert committee’s
report has been prepared following the roadmap to protect the wild asses in the
Rann of Kutch.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The roadmap includes a
number of measures such as a complete ban on vehicles, loaders and trucks from
entering the salt pan within the sanctuary limits between June 16 and October
15. This is the breeding season for the wild ass and the ban is intended to
protect the species.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">All Agariyas, the
traditional salt-makers in the Rann of Kutch, will be given identity cards by
the principal chief conservator of forests.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“The Agariyas will have to
register their vehicles and mechanized devices ahead of making salt at the pans
in the sanctuary limits,” states the report.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">There will be designated
routes marked within the sanctuary, and the Agariya community will be required
to take only those routes to transport the salt out of the area. Eco-sensitive
zones will be marked by the forest department. Trenches will be dug all along
the protected limits, other than those connected by road, to prevent illegal
entry of vehicles into the protected zone. Harinesh Pandya, a member of the Agariya
Heet-Rakshak Manch, said, “Five years ago, the Gujarat government had even
launched a solar pump system scheme for the agariyas with 80% subsidy,
benefiting thousands of them. It was after this that several agariyas were
informed that they may have to vacate the area. Following interventions from
local elected representatives, they were allowed to enter again on humanitarian
grounds.”</span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B9sMyfTa6zQ7VeTv2W--RDdMPbLkKQui/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">(Copy of J</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">oint expert committee’s Report)</span></a></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-7754974234815565692023-03-18T17:14:00.003+05:302023-03-18T17:14:48.095+05:30Salt pan workers of Little Rann protest eviction bid by Gujarat forest dept<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Business Standard: Ahmedabad: 17 February 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Salt pan workers protested
against notices issued to them by forest dept for eviction from a wildlife
sanctuary in Little Rann of Kutch and submitted a memorandum to the collector
of Surendranagar<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Salt pan workers on Friday
protested against notices issued to them by the forest department for eviction
from a wildlife sanctuary in Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) in Gujarat and
submitted a memorandum to the collector of Surendranagar.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A part of the LRK, which is
a salt marsh, falls in Surendranagar district and is protected as a wild ass
sanctuary.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">"More than 400
Agariyas, or salt farmers, gathered outside the district collector's office at
Patdi here and submitted a memorandum and raised slogans against the move by
the state forest department to evict them. They also accused the forest
department of damaging and confiscating their solar panels used to make
salt," an official said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The salt farmers have sought
that the state government protect their traditional livelihood and have alleged
only small farmers were being targeted, while bigger units were left untouched,
he said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The memorandum of the NGO
Agariya Heet Rakshak Manch marked for state forest minister Mulu Bera claimed
these salt pan workers have been issued identity cards as traditional Agariya
but were being forced to leave the site by forest department officials.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The situation has created
fear and terror among the Agariyas in the region, and the state government will
have to intervene immediately with mitigation measures, the NGO functionaries
asserted.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-16907827473555979572023-03-06T17:33:00.003+05:302023-03-06T17:33:45.678+05:30‘Narmada water flowing into LRK accidentally, not intentionally’<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Times of India: Ahmedabad: Monday, 06 March 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The state government in
response to a question by Congress’s Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani said that excess
Narmada water flows into the Little Rann of Kutch by accident.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The government was replying
to Mevani who wanted to know if salt of agariyas (salt pan workers) was being
washed away because of Narmada water.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The government reply stated,
“Narmada water is not directly released into the Little Rann of Kutch. The
water may be flowing in the LRK accidentally.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The government is using the
escape operate method to fill lakes, rivulets and rivers with Narmada water and
some of this water may accidentally be flowing into the LRK,” stated the reply.
The government said that the Narmada, water resources, water supply and kalpsar
department is taking measures to prevent salt from being washed away.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 2021, agariyas and other
local workers stayed away from local body elections. The Agariya hit Rakshak
Samiti had in 2021 said that salt production had gone down by 40% in the past
five years due to flooding of salt pans. Every year, excess water from the
Narmada project is released into this area just before salt is harvested,
destroying their produce, they had said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In reply to a question by
Rapar MLA Virendrasinh Jadeja, the government said that 608 agariya families
were given a subsidy of Rs 16.94 crore to install solar pumps. The government
said that in all Rs 29.34 crore was spent on providing solar pumps to agariyas.</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-61173200296030165462023-02-15T10:57:00.000+05:302023-02-15T10:57:31.363+05:30Rann agariyas want user rights<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 9.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.5pt; line-height: 150%;">Times of India: Ahmedabad: Wednesday, 15 February 2023.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">A delegation of the Agariya
Heet Rakshak Manch met state forests and environment minister Mulu Bera on
Tuesday, seeking community user rights for salt pan workers (agariyas) for
eight months of the year.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Harinesh Pandya, trustee of
Agariya Heet Rakshak Manch, said that while salt pan workers have no conflict
with the Wild Ass Sanctuary, their co-existence should be strengthened by the
government. “We told the minister that forest department can have ownership of
the land, but the government ought to formalize a system where agariyas can be
granted rights to use the land for eight months, as their existence depends on
it,” he said.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He added that the government
has satellite images of the area and locations where salt pan workers operate
can easily be identified. “In this manner, unscrupulous elements who are
operating there for commercial gains willalso be controlled and there will be
no conflict of agariyas with the forest department,” Pandya said. The areas where
saltpan workers operate fall within the limits of the Wild Ass Sanctuary.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The representation added
that efforts need to be made towards the education of children of agariyas, so
that they can explore other opportunities in the long term. Around 8,000 families
of agariyas settle temporarily in LRK of Kutch for eight months to work in salt
pans.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-56041557639696045242022-11-19T17:30:00.003+05:302022-11-19T17:30:59.309+05:30Salt pan workers of Gujarat pin hope on Assembly polls for better future<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 8.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Print: Ahmedabad: Saturday, 19 November 2022.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The salt pan workers in
Gujarat, locally known as agariyas, have to work in one of the harshest
environments to eke out a living by battling several basic issues, and the
Congress’s poll promise of improving their condition can just give hope for a
better future to members of this marginalised section of the society.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The agariya families toil
away in remote salt pans in unfavourable weather conditions of the Little Rann
of Kutch (LRK), located in the north of Gujarat, for eight months a year by
staying in makeshift huts to harvest salt. During this period, they are
virtually cut off from the mainstream, as they stay 30 to 50 kms away from
human habitats.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Over the past few years, the
state government introduced several schemes for the welfare of the salt pan
workers. But leaders and activists from the community feel these programmes
have not helped the agariyas much and their condition has remained largely unchanged
as they still have to fight for their basic rights, including health care and
education.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">They now hope that whichever
party comes to power in Gujarat after the next month’s Assembly elections,
takes steps for improving their living conditions. The opposition Congress has
prominently mentioned agariyas in its poll manifesto and has promised to make
their lives better if it comes to power in the state, while the ruling
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assures to bring more funds for the uplift of the community.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Gujarat is the largest salt
maker state of India and accounts for more than 75 per cent of the total output
of this essential kitchen ingredient. Last year, nearly 41 lakh metric tonnes
of salt was produced in the LRK, a desert spread across 5,000 sq km and major
part of it falls in Surendranagar district.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The LRK was declared as a
Wild Ass Sanctuary nearly 50 years back, which added to the woes of these
traditional workers as they became more vulnerable in the absence of any land
deeds.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">As part of his poll campaign
in Gujarat for the 2014 general elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had
interacted with salt pan workers of Gujarat to understand their problems.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Since then, several
government schemes were introduced for the welfare of the community, including
80 per cent subsidy on buying solar-powered pumps and permanent deployment of
modified buses, which were discarded by the state transport department, to be
used as classrooms in the desert.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“In 2017, the Gujarat
government came up with a scheme wherein solar-powered pumps were given at 80
per cent subsidised rate. On an average, one horsepower pump of Rs 1 lakh would
cost agariyas Rs 20,000. This scheme brought many agariyas out of debt and
extreme poverty as they saved fuel cost, which was nearly 70 per cent of the
total production cost,” said activist Harinesh Pandya, who is president of NGO
‘Agariya Hit Rakshak Manch’.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">To quench the thirst of salt
pan workers, water tankers are sent inside the desert by the government, he
said, adding that medical van having a doctor and a nurse also visit designated
spots.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Old and discarded buses
were modified into smart classrooms and deployed permanently inside the desert
at 43 locations to provide education to children from the community studying in
Class 1 to 8. Government teachers are sent daily from the villages to take
classes and even exams for eight months,” said Pandya.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">During four months of
monsoon starting June, agariyas stay in their villages located on the periphery
of the desert. Eighty per cent of the salt pan workers belong to the ‘Chuvaliya
Koli’ community, a de-notified tribe (DNT).<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">According to Pandya, nearly
10,000 agariya families, comprising nearly 40,000 members, are involved in salt
harvesting in the LRK. Most of these families belong to Patdi and Dhrangadhra
talukas of Surendranagar district, while others belong to Banaskantha, Patan,
Morbi and Kutch district.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">However, leaders from the
community feel that despite the introduction of various schemes over the years,
the salt pan workers’ condition has not improved much.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Health van service is not
at all regular and does not cover each spot. We still face acute shortage of
water because government-hired tankers fail to cover all the families in time.
Even the buses being used as classrooms are just for show because one teacher
can’t teach all the students of Class 1 to 8 at once,” said Chakuji Thakor, an
agariya leader.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“Since LRK is a sanctuary
and the government has stopped giving us the land on lease long back, banks do
not give us loans because we don’t have the leased land to show. As a result,
we have to sell our harvest in advance at a lower price to those who lend us
capital to start our work every year,” he added.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Thakor said that the members
of the community feel that after the next month’s Gujarat elections their
condition will change positively and they will not have to fight for basic
issues any more, irrespective of which party comes to power.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Kharaghoda-based activist
Ambubhai Patel said the salt pan workers do not have any legal backing because
the area where they harvest salt is a protected sanctuary and the government
has stopped issuing leases many years ago.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In its manifesto for the
upcoming Assembly polls, the Congress has promised that the party, if voted to
power, will extend benefits of all the schemes meant for the unorganised
workers to agariyas.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“We have promised that we
will make it easier for agariyas to get permission for creating salt pans in
the protected areas of the Wild Ass Sanctuary. Congress will also build houses
and schools for salt pan workers. For better connectivity, we will also install
mobile towers,” said Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Other promises include RO
kiosks for providing drinking water to salt-pan workers in the desert and Rs 5
lakh accident insurance cover and free treatment up to Rs 10 lakh at any
government hospital.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">BJP’s candidate for
Dhrangadhra seat, Prakash Varmora, said he will try to get maximum funds from
various sources for the overall uplift of salt pan workers and their families.<br /></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“The BJP government has
already made a separate board for DNTs. I will try to make sure that the grant
is used for salt pan workers too. I will also try to channelise the funds of
major voluntary organisations for their development,” he said. PTI</span></div>
Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212729228282337059.post-88332314699609153882022-07-03T11:38:00.000+05:302022-07-03T11:38:13.045+05:30Solar pumps change the fortunes of Agariyas, the traditional salt makers...<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/qFIWMnw1FQs" frameborder="0"></iframe>Treditional Salt Farmer's Collectivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00127354199277406681noreply@blogger.com0