Indian Minerals

Yearbook 2013
(Part-III: MINERAL REVIEWS)

52nd Edition

SALT
(ADVANCE RELEASE)

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF MINES
INDIAN BUREAU OF MINES

Indira Bhavan, Civil Lines,

NAGPUR – 440 001

PHONE/FAX NO. (0712) 2565471

PBX : (0712) 2562649, 2560544, 2560648
E-MAIL : cme@ibm.gov.in
Website: www.ibm.gov.in

January, 2015
 SALT
44 Salt
O ccurrence of rock salt in India is scanty.
The only producer, Hindustan Salt Ltd,
Jaipur produced salt from its mines located in
district Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. The main source
of common salt is sea water (about 82%). It is
also being obtained from sub soil brines, after
evaporation due to solar heat.
Common salt, when pure, is mineral halite which
is an essential item for human consumption. Halite
is colourless or white and may contain various
tints.
"Salt is a Central subject in the Constitution of
India and appears as item No. 58 of the Union list
of the 7 th Schedule, which reads:
(a) "Manufacture, Supply and Distibution of salt
by Union Agencies: and
(b) "Regulation and control of manufacture,
supply and distribution of salt by other agencies".
Central Government is responsible for
controlling all aspects of the Salt Industry. Salt
Commissioner's Organisation (SCO), Jaipur,
Rajasthan, an attached office under the Ministry
of Commerce & Industry (Department of Industrial
Policy & Promotion). Government of India, is
entrusted with the above task.The SCO is
responsible for monitoring the production,
distribution, supply and administration of Salt
Cess Act, 1953 and the rules, made thereunder.
RESOURCES
As per UNFC system, the total resources of
rock salt as on 1.4.2010 are provisionally estimated
at 16.03 million tonnes in District Mandi,
Himachal Pradesh. Out of the total resources,
about 10.04 million tonnes falls under proved
category and 5.99 million tonnes under probable
category.
44-2
PRODUCTION, STOCKS
AND PRICES
There was no production of salt (rock) in
2012-13 as well as in 2011-12 due to temporary
discontinuance of mining operations. There was
no mine-head stocks of salt at the beginning and
end of the year 2012-13. However, India is the 3 rd
largest salt(common) producing country in the
world after China & USA with a production of
about 245 lakh tonnes during the year 2012-13.
Salt (common) is manufactured mainly by
Solar evaporation of Sea water in vast coastal
states. Gujarat was the leading state followed by
Ta m i l N a d u , R a j a s t h a n , A n d h r a P r a d e s h ,
Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka, West Bengal,
Goa and Diu Daman. There are about 11,799 salt
manufacturers engaged in production of common
salt in an extent of about 6 lakh acres land in the
country. Out of these, about 6% each are in the
large and medium category manufacturers and the
rest 88% are small scale producers.
The major by-products recovered in the Salt
Industry are Gypsum, Bromine, Magnesium
Chloride and Magnesium Sulphate.The average
number of labourers employed in the salt industry
during 2011-12 and 2012-13 were 111,932 and
108,786 respectively. Prices of salt are furnished
in the General Review on 'Prices'.
MINING
Due to lack of production of salt (rock) during
2011-12 and onwards, no remarkable development
of mining of salt (rock) has occured. Hindustan Salts
Ltd and its subsidiary Sambhar Salts Ltd have their
own rock salt mines at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.
The company has proposed to set up a solution
mining project to feed to chloroalkali plant of 60,000
tpy capacity.
 SALT

USES mixing potassium iodate with salt using spray, drip

Salt, in addition to its culinary and domestic feed, dry mixing and submersion processes.
uses, is also employed in meat packing, fish curing Iodisation of salt is carried out in plants operated by
and its preservation, dairying, preservation & Sambhar Salts Ltd (a subsidiary of Hindustan
processing of hides, manufacturing of soaps, Salts Ltd), Kharagodah, Gujarat. About 831 plants
detergent and dyestuff, dyeing and finishing of including 67 refineries with an annual capacity of
fabrics, refrigeration, glazing earthenware, 17 million tpy produces over 6 million tonnes of
explosives, leather industries, bakery products, for iodised salt. The Hindustan Salts Ltd has also set
soil stabilisation, in manufacturing artificial rubber up an iodisation plant at Ramnagar in Nainital
and as a wood preservative. In agriculture, salt is district, Uttarakhand.
used for treating hay and as a fertilizer for certain Potassium lodate Manufacture
crops. In countries with cold weather conditions,
salt is used in controlling ice and snow on streets Potassium lodate, used in iodised salt is
and highways. produced indigenously, however, iodine, the basic
raw material for its production is imported. 14
Industrial Applications potassium iodate manufacturing units are
Salt is an important raw material for chemical registered with the department.
industry. It is used in the production of basic Statewise production of salt (common) during
chemicals like sodium carbonate (soda ash), caustic the year 2012-13 is furnished in Table-1.
soda, hydrochloric acid, chlorine, bleaching
powders, chlorates, sodium sulphate (salt cake)
and sodium metal. These basic chemicals, in turn, Table – 1 : Statewise production of Salt (Common)
are used in the preparation of various end products, 2012-13
such as soaps, detergents, chlorinated hydro- (By States)
carbons and carbon tetrachloride. Other important (Quantity in '000 tonnes)
uses are in food processing and as freezing-point
St a t e s 2012-13
depressant in refineries and milk supply schemes,
for the treatment of industrial wastes, in the Andhra Pradesh 336
manufacture of synthetic indigo, explosives, papers, Diu Daman 0.020
purification of drinking water, etc. Goa 1.93
Gujarat 19424
The rock salt produced from Mandi mines
HimachalPradesh -
contains 67.81% NaCl which is not suitable for
Karnataka 15
human consumption as the content of sodium
Maharashtra 160
chloride should be 96% NaCl (Min) for human Odisha 34
consumption. Hence it is generally used to feed Rajasthan 1825
cattle. Tamil Nadu 2431

Iodised Salt West Bengal 14

Figures rounded off

The SCO is the nodal agency for monitoring
the production and quality of iodised salt at the
prodution level and ensuring its equitable
distribution in the country. The programme is
known as National Iodine Deficiency Disorder
Control Programme (NIDDCP).
A portion of rock salt produced is iodised in
order to meet the requirements of goitre-endemic
areas in the country. Iodised salt is produced by
CONSUMPTION
Industrial consumption of salt (comman) is
steadily increasing and has registered a record
high of 11.44 million tonnes in 2012-13. During
the same period, human consumption of salt was
reported at 5.91 million tonnes. The industrial
consumption of salt is given in Table -2.

44-3
 SALT

Table – 2 : Industrial Consumption of Government of India, vide Notification No. 482(E) dated
Salt 2011-12 and 2012-13 25th July, 1991 has exempted certain categories of export
(By Industries) from compulsory pre-shipment inspection.
(Quantity in '000 tonnes)

Industry 2011-12 2012-13 FOREIGN TRADE

Exports
Total 11 2 8 9 11 4 3 8
Exports of salt increased to 4.55 million tonnes in
Caustic soda/soda ash 8626 8550
2012-13 from about 2.71 million tonnes during the
Misc. Industries 2663 2888
preceding year . Similarly a quantity of 50.04 lakh
(Paper/Dye, foods,
tonnes of common salt valued at ` 679.44 crore was
steel, oil, chemical etc.)
exported during 2012-13 as against 37.72 lakh tonnes
figures rounded off. valued about ` 492.25 crore in the previous year
Source: Salt Commissioner, Govt. of India, Jaipur.
(Table - 3).
TRADE POLICY
Export of salt have been brought under Open Imports
General License (OGL) with effect from 25th August, In 2012-13, imports of salts (other than common
1987 vide Ministry of Commerce, New Delhi. Export salt) were at 28,175 tonnes as compared to 34,208 tonnes
Trade Control Public Notice No. 26-ETC(PN)/87 dated in the previous year. Imports were mainly from Pakistan
25 th August, 1987. The Ministry of Commerce, under Open General Licence (OGL) (Table - 4).

Table – 3: Exports of Salt

(By Countries)

2011-12 2012-13
Country
Qty Value Qty Value
(t) (`'000) (t) (`'000)

All Countries 2712076 2598357 4551203 5282220

China 652333 616510 1269358 1572703

Bangladesh 151889 117538 1025895 932502

Japan 640670 586996 877023 908973

Qatar 362559 359225 304285 432615

Vietnam 40514 41692 257608 360430

Indonesia 608610 573256 367952 353037

Korea, Rep. of 23500 22924 282000 272923

Thailand 14 52 77503 93405

Malaysia 28556 42092 17705 30474

Unspecified ++ 1 30000 201256

Other countries 203431 238071 41874 123902

44-4
 SALT
Table – 4: Imports of Salt
(By Countries)

2011-12 2012-13
Country
Qty Value Qty Value
(t) (`' 000) (t) (`' 000)

All Countries 34208 85575 28175 81515

Pakistan 32782 66023 27638 60775

USA 64 8360 60 12329
Germany 155 2390 93 3822
China 7 118 128 1637
Israel 12 504 16 865
Afghanistan 967 1548 217 441
Italy 9 495 6 353
Spain 2 131 2 342
UK 50 566 1 259
Sweden 1 94 8 160
Other countries 159 5346 6 532

44-5