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25,000 metric tonnes of Puttalam salt destroyed by floods
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Ranish Badurdeen
More than 25,000 metric tonnes of salt stored in salterns in the Puttalam District have been destroyed due to the recent heavy rains, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Salt Producers’ Association Ranish Badurdeen said.
Talking to the media, Mr. Badurdeen said over 10,000 metric tonnes of salt stored in salterns belonging to the association had been damaged after floodwaters invaded storage facilities.
He further noted that an additional 10,000 metric tonnes of salt belonging to private producers in Puttalam, Vanathavilluwa, Mundalama and Kalpitiya had also been ruined due to floodwaters.
In addition, over 5,000 metric tonnes of salt stockpiled by the Puttalam Salt Company and several other major business entities had been destroyed, he said.
Mr. Badurdeen says the disaster has caused a severe setback to the salt industry in the district, with total losses estimated to exceed Rs. 12 billion.
He said infrastructure at several salterns has been severely damaged, with some facilities requiring complete reconstruction, while internal road networks have also been washed away.
Restarting production will require a significant financial outlay, he added, urging the Government to provide immediate relief and necessary assistance to revive the industry.
Pix and text by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
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