It takes an ocean of sacrifices for the iodised salt to arrive at our dinner table. Ironically, the faceless people behind the intensive labour required to extract salt from the sea are the ones who often suffer from goitre — a disease caused by iodine deficiency.
It is because the salt they consume is the salt they produce which is bereft of iodisation. This process of adding iodine in the salt takes place in manufacturing plants far away from the reach of these underprivileged labourers.
The labourers in the salt pans of Gujarat's Rann of Kutch also report other ailments — chronic dermatitis, malnutrition, hypertension and kidney disease.
The hypertension is not because of higher ingestion of salt but because they are forced to inhale salt aerosols throughout the day.
The workers also report blisters on their legs from being in contact with saline water for long hours — the salinity only adds pain to their wounds as they try to make a living.