As if that was not enough, the vanishing trick has forced people to go for non-iodised salt which was available but there was great uncertainty about its continued supply. Long queues were seen at salt grinders places in localities like Madhupura, Asrwa, Behrampura and Jamalpur in Ahmedabad.

Even those selling small quantities in residential areas found themselves surrounded by housewives with utensils in hand making a beeline for salt.

A retail salt seller who had no time to reply to questions, ultimately said he was selling salt at Rs 3.50 per kg. It was a non-iodised variety but fearing the scarcity, people wanted to buy in excess of 20-30 kg which is much more than the required quantity. In branded variety, Tata Salt was notavailable while less popular brands were available at grocery shops.

The shopowners did not give any reason for disappearing of the stocks.Satish Shah, a prominent salt supplier of the city, said that more than 100 salt pans were washed away during Diwali due to heavy unseasonal rains causing a loss of around Rs 5,000 in each of them. Rain still continued in these areas, according to him. However, he said there would be no effect on supply of salt to consumers in northern and eastern parts of the country.

As Shah claims there is no need for hoarding of salt, the government has warned dealers against hoarding and overcharging.

The government has said certain elements are deliberately spreading rumours of shortage and prices soaring, it seems there are few taker as the long queues in various localities of the city indicate people's lack of trust in announcements. Meanwhile, a delegation of salt manufacturers met chief minister Keshubhai Patel and informed him that there was a ready salt stock of twomillion tonnes in Gujarat.

However, even as Gandhidham Salt Manufacturers Association president Hiralal Parikh and Gujarat Salt Federation president Santosh Kamdar were assuring the Patel of supplying loose salt between Rs 1.25 and Rs 1.50 a kg, non iodised loose salt was being sold at prices in excess of Rs 3.50 kg in various areas of city.