Salt or sodium chloride contains 39.32 per cent sodium and 60.68 per cent chlorine. About 70 per cent of the total production of salt is used for edible purposes and remaining in chemical industry for manufacturing soda ash, caustic soda, sodium sulphate and sodium silicate etc. There are three main sources of salt in India: (i) sea water, along the coasts of the Peninsula, (ii) brine springs, wells and salt lakes of the arid tracts of Rajasthan, and (iii) rock-salt deposits of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
Production
India produced 44.69 lakh tones of salt in 1967 which rose to 58.4 lakh tones in 1975; 82.6 lakh tones in 1981; 126.4 lakh tones in 1990-91; and 143.1 lakh tones in 1993-94. The production of rock salt was 5,530 tons in 1951 which declined to 4,253 tons in 1961; 3,845 tons in 1971; 4,326 tons in 1981; 3,000 tons in 1990-91; 1,827 tons in 1995-96; and 1,621 tons in 2002-03.
Regional Distribution
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About 75 per cent of the total salt produced in India is manufactured in marine salt works by the solar evaporation of sea water. Of the total salt production of the country Gujarat’s share is the highest (59.8%), followed by Tamil Nadu (18.4%), Rajasthan (8.7%), Maharashtra (7.6%), and Andhra Pradesh (3.5%).
Gujarat-Gujarat is the leading producer of salt (59.8%) in the country. The coastal areas of the state have ideal conditions for salt production.
The quality is superior and the yield is more (122 tones/ ha). At high tide, when level of the sea rises, sea water is led through channels to the salt pans where after the evaporation of water, salt is left as a residue. The salt works are sited at a number of places along the coast. Mithapur near Okha Port is the leading producer. Porbandar, Bedi Port, Kuda, Lavanpur, Bhavnagar, Kandla, Dharsana, Charvada and Bulsar are other important producing centers.
On the eastern fringe of the Little Rann, the brine is pumped to the surface and evaporated for salt. Kharaghoda is the leading centre of salt industry of the Rann. Here magnesium chloride is obtained as a by-product.
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Tamil Nadu-Tamil Nadu is the second largest producer of salt in the country accounting for 16- 20% of the national production. The districts of Chingleput, South Arcot, Thanjavur, Ramnathapuram, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari are important salt producing areas. Magras (Chennai) and Tuticorin have emerged as the largest centers of salt production. Cuddalore, Adrampatnam, Voyalur, Vallur, Covelong, Cheyyur, Chunampet, Tranquebar, Nagapatnam, Vedaranyam, Thambikottai, Adirapatinam, Kattumavadi, Vattanam, Manakudi, Morekulam, Arasadi, Karapad, Vrani, Korampallam, Kayalpatnam, Kulasekarapatnam, Nagercoil and Colachel are other producing centers.
Maharashtra-In Maharashtra 7-11 per cent of the country’s salt is produced. Important producers are Thane, Kolaba and Ratnagiri districts with main centres at Bhandup, Uran, Bhayandar, Wadala, and Belapur. The chemical factories in Mumbai provide a large demand for the salt.
Others-the coastal areas of Goa, Karnataka and Kerala produce some salt from sea brine but owing to long rainy season production is low. The cloudy weather retards evaporation and the rains dilute the brine. Along southern Kerala coast where rainfall is scanty majority of salt works are located. Here Thamarakulam, Ailon, Puthllan, Rajakkamangalam, Palkutam, Variyur, Odai and Malipuram are the main producing centers.
In Andhra Pradesh the salt producing areas lie in Srikakulam, Vishakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Guntur and Nellore districts. The important centers are Nanpadu, Pennuguduru, Pakala and Kakinada.
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Some salt is also manufactured in the coastal areas of Orissa in Balasore and Cuttack districts; and form the waters of the Chilka Lake in Puri and Ganjam districts.
In West Bengal coastal areas of Medinipur (near Contai), and 24-Parganas (near Sunderban) districts also produce some salt.