The villagers from Pipavavdham, Victor, Kathirvadar, and Chanch have alleged that Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Limited (GHCL) has been producing salt illegally after the companys lease period had expired and was not renewed by government.  Protesting villagers have been sitting on fast since last one week in front of Rajula Mamlatdars office demanding back their land, which was leased to GHCL for salt production. They have also stopped sending their children to school in protest. Villagers claim that salinity in land has increased and there is a severe freshwater crisis because of these salt pans. The villagers either want their land back or they demand that the salt pans should be handed over to village cooperative society so that they can get employment. GHCL has filed its renewal application in prescribed time and it is pending with the state government. There are nearly 12,500 saltpans along the coastal belt of Kutch and Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) and lease of nearly 80% of these pans has not been renewed for a decade. The saltpan leaseholders blame the state government policy for creating obstacles in the renewal process. The state government had started allotting land on lease for salt production in 1964. In 2005 the government changed the policy for renewal.