Unseasonal rains along the southern coastal stretch of Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district have impacted salt production, affecting operations across nearly 7,000 acres.
From Friday night last week to Monday, the rainfall — accompanied by strong winds, lightning, and thunder — continued intermittently throughout the weekend and persisted up to Monday.
The downpour has inundated salt pans in areas such as Agasthiyampalli, leading to stagnation of rainwater and halting salt extraction work. The coastal stretch, a major hub for small-scale salt production, is now facing losses due to the disruption in operation.
V. Senthil, Secretary of the Vedaranyam Small Scale Salt Producers’ Federation, told said: “By this time, we would have completed at least 50% of our annual production. As of now, we’ve achieved only 20%. The rains have affected us badly, and the forecast of more rain worries us further. For now, we’ve halted salt production for the next 15 days.”
He said: “When our production gets delayed, the market is captured by other salt-producing states like Gujarat. This year, the summer initially gave us hope with favourable conditions. But now, we are uncertain and skeptical.”
Sources said besides salt production, crops such as sesame, pulses, and groundnut cultivated in Vedaranyam during this season have been affected.
Published – May 20, 2025 08:24 pm IST
