The Saltmakers

The Saltmakers

In India's Gujarat state lies the Little Rann of Kutch, a sprawling salt marsh desert where temperatures soar to 50 degrees Celsius. This harsh landscape is home to the Agariyas, nomadic tribal families who have harvested salt here since the 16th Century. For eight months of every year, they migrate to this harsh environment, living in temporary shacks and pumping briny groundwater into vast pans where it evaporates into gleaming, sturdy crystals. This traditional practice, responsible for 75% of India's salt production, is now under a grave existential threat. Seasonal cycles, predictable for centuries, have become erratic. Unexpected rains and sudden cyclones frequently wash away months of intensive labour, leaving families in mounting debt. Despite providing an essential global commodity, these workers earn three percent of the salt's final value, living without running water or basic sanitation.

Hope emerges through innovation and activism. Scientists at the Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute are introducing new types of pan linings and solar-powered pumps to reduce costs and increase yields. Activists like Pankti Jog fight for land rights, healthcare and education, establishing mobile schools in old buses for the next generation. Yet, the future remains a gamble. While some children dream of becoming teachers or police officers, many feel tethered to the salt by heritage and lack of choice.

Jaksot(2000)

A church without walls

A church without walls

Pastor Jane Codrington grew up in a conservative faith environment before leaving the institutional church to found We Are Church - a community for those excluded by traditional structures. Set within...

1 Touko 26min

Atomic crossroads: Poland's nuclear future

Atomic crossroads: Poland's nuclear future

Forty years after Chernobyl, Poland aims to open its first nuclear power plant. Shortly after the disaster, only 30% of Poles supported nuclear power. In 2022, the support hit a record 75%, almost dou...

30 Huhti 26min

In Our Time: The Mariana Trench

In Our Time: The Mariana Trench

Misha Glenny and guests discuss one of the wonders of the natural world. In 1875 in the western Pacific, the crew of HMS Challenger discovered the Mariana Trench which turned out to be deeper than Eve...

29 Huhti 49min

Driving Against Net Zero

Driving Against Net Zero

Is defence of the petrol car and liberated motoring becoming the new battleground for Europe’s populist parties? Chris Bowlby visits one of the homes of German car culture and a populist stronghold, Z...

28 Huhti 26min

Neha Vyaso: Crafting consent in Bollywood

Neha Vyaso: Crafting consent in Bollywood

*** This programme contains scenes of a sexual nature and discussion of sexual assault, including child sex abuse *** Neha Vyaso is one of the most successful intimacy co-ordinators in Bollywood. She...

27 Huhti 26min

Introducing: The Climate Question: China's green energy revolution

Introducing: The Climate Question: China's green energy revolution

China is installing solar panels and wind turbines so fast that its greenhouse gases emissions may now have peaked. If this trend is confirmed, it would be a major milestone in the fight against clima...

26 Huhti 27min

Inside the Mugabe dynasty

Inside the Mugabe dynasty

Late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe died in 2019, but in the years before and since his death, his three children with his former wife, Grace, consistenly made headlines for all the wrong reasons....

25 Huhti 26min

Meet the preppers

Meet the preppers

“Stockpiling peace” preppers share their experiences

25 Huhti 23min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

i-dont-like-mondays
sita
olipa-kerran-otsikko
kaksi-aitia
hupiklubi
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
ihme-ja-kumma
uutiscast
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
kolme-kaannekohtaa
mamma-mia
rss-murhan-anatomia
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
aikalisa
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
meidan-pitais-puhua
loukussa
kummitusjuttuja