Tue Jan 07 16:39:21 UTC 2025: **Salt Production Resumes in Tamil Nadu After Monsoon Disruption**
NAGAPATTINAM, Tamil Nadu – January 7, 2025 – Salt production has resumed across 9,000 acres of salt pans in Vedaranyam, Nagapattinam district, following a three-month monsoon-induced hiatus. Restoration efforts are underway in Agasthiyanpalli, Kadina Vayal, and Kodiyakkadu, where stagnant rainwater had damaged the pans. Workers are utilizing electric pumps to drain water and repair the damaged areas by removing silt and reinforcing the pans with fresh soil. Full-scale production is anticipated within a week.
The Vedaranyam region, producing approximately 5 lakh tonnes of salt annually, supplies Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. The monsoon’s impact on operations resulted in job losses for salt pan workers; however, restoration work has now provided steady employment. V. Senthil, Secretary of the Vedaranyam Small Scale Salt Producers’ Federation, expressed confidence that full production would resume by the Pongal festival. The first harvest of “Puthu Pon” (new salt) is expected after Pongal, marking the beginning of the new production season. The region’s salt production is divided between small and medium producers (3,000 acres in Agasthiyanpalli) and industrial-grade production (6,000 acres in Kodiyakkadu and Kadina Vayal).
First Piper 