Blistering summer makes saltpan workers task tiring and taxing

CHENNAI: The six hours of backbreaking work in a saltpan from early morning has been made much harder by the blistering summer heat for R Pechiyammal. With little or no access to safe drinking water, toilets and rest, the saltpan workers’ everyday work life is taxing. But, the 39-year-old resident of Mudukukadu village on the outskirts of Thoothukudi town has no choice but to continue working in the harsh conditions.

Like her, 32-year-old Essakkiammal, a sole breadwinner of the family after her husband’s demise four years ago, said that they have no other option except to work under the extremely harsh conditions to run their families.

With no access to potable drinking water and other basic amenities, such as toilets at the worksites, saltpan workers in the state are at the mercy of the scorching sun that takes a toll on their health. They are paid Rs 490 per day, which is Rs 10 less than what is paid for men working in the saltpan for a range of works from mud-border making, trampling the ground, salt crystal reshuffling, salt-scrapping, raw salt heaping, crushing, loading and packing.

“We have been demanding drinking water and toilet facilities at the worksite for several years, but nothing has happened till date,” said Essakkiammal, who carries two litre of drinking water from her house. But, they need to refill the bottle to keep them going for the next two to three hours, but there is no source of drinking water available at the workplace.

Urinary infections, joint and neck pain, eyesight problems were common among workers here, said Pachiammal, who has been working in a saltpan for over a decade.

Nearly 50,000 persons work in saltpans spread over 22,000 hectares along an 80 km stretch of seashore between Kayalpattinam and Vembar in Thoothukudi district and 75 per cent of the workforce were women. They have been facing a host of health problems, said M Krishnamoorthy of Unorganised Workers Federation, who has been working among the saltpan workers.

Saltpan workers in Marakkanam in the coastal taluk of Villupuram also echoed the same and said that they have been fighting for the basic amenities for several years. “Neither the employer nor the government authorities redressed our demand for a better working condition,” said a worker, preferring anonymity.

Studies have shown that saltpan workers faced a lot of health hazards due to constant exposure to the sun. Vidhya Venugopal, Professor at the Department of Environmental Health Engineering of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research said that their study on saltpan workers, covering two summer and winter seasons divulged that they have high prevalence of low kidney function and a host of health issues due to constant exposure to extreme temperatures.

“Saltpan workers, particularly women, are impacted as they work beyond safe working temperature without safety gears,” she said.