Team Herald
PORVORIM: The Goa government will complete its ongoing survey of all salt pans across the State within the next six months and formulate a policy for their conservation and support. Additionally, all salt pans will be officially notified, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Replying to a starred question by Sant Andre MLA Viresh Borkar, Sawant said the survey, conducted through the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB), has onboarded experts from Goa University. Sawant emphasised that notifying all salt pans would aid in conservation while exploring industrial uses, as traditional consumption of Goan salt has declined significantly. He also assured the introduction of a scheme to support salt farmers.
Borkar pointed out that from the hundreds of salt pans that once functioned in Goa, only 20 remain operational, according to the government’s list. He also noted that several salt pans in his constituency had not been surveyed. In response, the Chief Minister assured that the GSBB would involve local Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in the survey process.
The government also admitted that no salt pan producers in Goa had availed benefits under the Government of India’s Modified Namak Mazdoor Awas Yojana (MNMAY), a scheme for constructing dwelling units for salt workers. The scheme has since been transferred to the Goa Handicrafts, Rural, and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited.
Raising a strong appeal for the revival of Goa’s traditional salt-making industry, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai urged the government to declare salt pans as protected areas and provide incentives to salt makers to sustain this centuries-old occupation.
Supporting Borkar’s proposal to make Batim a model village for traditional salt production, Sardesai highlighted the cultural and historical significance of Goan salt. Citing Japan’s premium bamboo salt, which sells for $100 per 250 grams, he stressed that Goan salt has immense potential if properly branded and marketed.
However, Sardesai raised concerns over the rapid disappearance of salt pans, particularly in places like Arpora, where they have been converted into land for starred hotels. He demanded a firm assurance that salt pans would be declared protected areas and safeguarded in the Regional Plan.
Highlighting the role of dykes in protecting Goa’s salt pans and low-lying areas, Sardesai called for a 30-year long-term plan to safeguard them, drawing lessons from the Netherlands’ expertise in dyke management.