CHENNAI: Salt production in Villupuram's Marakkanam region has been affected due to heavy rains that lashed the region Saturday night, according to Daily Thanthi.

In Villupuram district, around 3,500 acres of salt pans owned by the central and state governments are located in Marakkanam and surrounding areas.

Following the showers, the salt pans have been completely inundated and resemble ponds. Due to this, the production of salt has been drastically affected.

Salt production in this region typically begins in January and continues until October. This year, production started as usual but the frequent summer rains has hampered the process, affecting thousands of workers.

These salt pans produce about 25 lakh tons of salt annually, which is exported not only to various parts of Tamil Nadu but also to Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh. Approximately 4,000 workers are directly and indirectly dependent on the salt production industry.