A part of eastern Kutch, known as The Little Rann, is a seasonally marshy region and was once part of the Gulf of Kutch. During the monsoon, it's submerged but transforms into a desert for the rest of the year, attracting migratory birds, like the flamingo, but is also home to the Asian Wild Ass, which roams this desert region. A narrow highland near Adeshar connects the Little Rann to the Great Rann, which borders on Pakistan.
Mainly Koli communities live in the area - the women maintain the home and village while the men folk, agariyas, work on the salt pans some distance away, for periods of 8 months at a time, only returning home during the monsoon period, when salt production ceases. The salt flats are devoid of any vegetation, the ground cracked and parched and the men live in dugouts to protect themselves from the harsh conditions They produce about 2.6 million tons of edible salt a year, using a process of pumping the brine water into different dams, until the desired percentage of salinity is achieved. Branches of the local sangetra plant are used in the dam to provide a surface on which salt crystals can form. The salt is then harvested and loaded onto a truck and then transported to the nearest railhead for onward carriage. This tough way of making a living is the only one they know and is jealously guarded, despite the harsh conditions and declining production, due to colder weather and longer spells of rain. Many of the men have eye problems from the constant glare and skin abrasions take a long time to heal. Drinking water is brought to them occasionally by truck !
Mainly Koli communities live in the area - the women maintain the home and village while the men folk, agariyas, work on the salt pans some distance away, for periods of 8 months at a time, only returning home during the monsoon period, when salt production ceases. The salt flats are devoid of any vegetation, the ground cracked and parched and the men live in dugouts to protect themselves from the harsh conditions They produce about 2.6 million tons of edible salt a year, using a process of pumping the brine water into different dams, until the desired percentage of salinity is achieved. Branches of the local sangetra plant are used in the dam to provide a surface on which salt crystals can form. The salt is then harvested and loaded onto a truck and then transported to the nearest railhead for onward carriage. This tough way of making a living is the only one they know and is jealously guarded, despite the harsh conditions and declining production, due to colder weather and longer spells of rain. Many of the men have eye problems from the constant glare and skin abrasions take a long time to heal. Drinking water is brought to them occasionally by truck !
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