Indian Salt Workers Brave Extreme Heat in Gujarat's Desert

Each year, India faces severe heatwaves, but few places are as brutal as the salt fields of Gujarat, a western state where tens of thousands of workers endure nearly unbearable conditions to sustain the industry.

Up to 50,000 seasonal workers migrate to the remote Little Rann of Kutch for about eight months, living on the salt fields with no electricity, medical services, or permanent shelter. A water tanker brings drinking and household water only once every 25 days.

Summer temperatures here regularly exceed 45°C (113°F) and can reach 47-48°C (117-118°F). The same dry heat that makes life harsh also makes the desert ideal for salt production, with Gujarat accounting for about three-quarters of India's salt output.

Salt is produced by pumping brine from wells into shallow ponds, letting the water evaporate under the sun and wind. Workers rake the pond surface daily to ensure even crystallization, then break and heap the thick crust into piles.

"We work in staggered shifts, toiling in the early morning and after sunset," said salt worker Babulal Narayan, 42. "During the hottest hours, it's too hot to stand."

With no trees or natural shade, workers build their own shelters: stick frames covered with handwoven coarse cloth and plastered with wild donkey dung. "We sit here for two to three hours at a time so we don't get weak or dizzy," said Bhavna Rathore, 17. The dung blocks sunlight and lets heat escape, while the cloth allows air to pass through, she explained.

Others rely on makeshift cooling techniques. Kanchan Narayan, 44, hangs a water bottle wrapped in a damp cloth from a string, using evaporation to cool the drinking water. Another worker, Poornima, drinks black tea throughout the day, saying hot beverages induce sweat, which cools the body in dry air.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast "above-normal heatwave days" this year in several areas, including Gujarat. Meanwhile, a shift from costly diesel water pumps to cheaper solar-powered systems has reduced production costs but extended the working season. The work, which previously ended around March, now stretches into the hottest months.

The consequences can be deadly. Workers report fatigue, dizziness, and nausea—symptoms of heat stress that can lead to organ failure. Studies have found high levels of dehydration, heat stress, and early signs of kidney dysfunction among salt workers.

Unseasonal storms add to the strain. "A major dust storm struck last month, destroying salt worth 200,000 rupees ($2,100)," said Narayan. He and five relatives earn a profit of about 250,000 rupees ($2,635), or roughly $450 per person for eight months of labor.

Yet most say they have no choice but to return year after year. "What else would we do?" asked worker Rasoda Rathore, 65. "We have no land to farm, no livestock to make a living. This is all we know."