Sri Lanka to build the largest saltern in Trincomalee

Sri Lanka has commenced construction of the largest saltern in the country at Kurumpity in the city of Trincomalee in Eastern Province.

The government announced that construction is underway to build the saltern in 1,800-acre land. Upon completion it is expected to produce 50,000 metric tons of salt per year.

The public venture is a part of the large scale development work to improve infrastructure facilities in the war-torn areas of the country and to provide livelihoods to the inhabitants of the region who have faced severe hardships due to the three-decade long war.

According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, the project will generate 800 direct employments and over 1,500 indirect employments. The project will also help reduce the present salt prices.

The government says before 1977, Sri Lanka was almost self-sufficient in salt with production in several salterns in the country, including Hambantota and Puttalam but their sale to the private sector resulted in the country importing most of its salt requirement.

Nearly 60% of the current annual salt requirement of the country is produced locally and the remaining 40 % is imported at a cost of nearly Rs.380 million, the government says.

The Cabinet last month granted approval to expand the Mannar Saltern at an estimated cost of Rs.25 million.