Orissa oil spill: salt farmers demand compensation

After fishermen, salt farmers in Orissa's Ganjam district are now demanding compensation claiming that salt production was hit by the recent fuel oil leak from an anchored ship at Gopalpur port.

Some members of the salt and fishery sectors of Palibandh gram panchayat, led by its Sarpanch Dillip Chhottaray, met the sub-collector of Chhatrapur and put forth their demands yesterday.

The production of salt has been affected for some days after the spillage of oil from the ship on April 12, Chhottaray said.

Oil from the ship, sailing from Indonesia, had leaked when it collided with a berth.

Production of the salt is also feared to have been affected, the Sarpanch said rejecting the report of the state Pollution Control Board.

"Their report is not based on practical problems being faced by fishermen and salt farmers," he alleged.

Ganjam is the major salt producing district in the state and about 20,000 people are engaging in this sector to eke out their livelihood. The salt farmers use the sea water as raw material to produce salt on processing.

Earlier the fish workers union of Ganjam district unit had also sought compensation fearing about their bleak future due to the incident.