Water Logging and Salinity in

Pakistan

• Water logging represents the situation

whereby the underground water comes
on the surface of the land and in certain
cases it gathers on the ground level of
the lands and it may assume the shape of
streams.
Water Logging and Salinity in
Pakistan
• As a result, the lands become uncultivable. In
some cases, the underground water does not
reach the upper level of lands but remains
slightly lower and the land salts gather near
the roots of the plants such situation is called
Salinity. In this case, the sufficient amount of
water is not available for irrigation, hence the
salts are not absorbed in the land after having
mixed.
Water Logging and Salinity in
Pakistan
• These salts gather in the form of a layer in the
upper level of land. Thus due to water logging
and salinity the water retains itself on the
surface of land and salts gather themselves in
the zones of roots of plants. This leads to
decrease the efficiency and productivity of
lands and finally lands become uncultivable.
 Effected areas
• The experts accord water logging and
salinity as a major problem of agri. sector
of Pakistan. According to an estimate the
50% of irrigated lands have been affected
by water logging and salinity, while 30 lac
acres of lands have become uncultivable.
 Effected areas
• Again, one lac acre of land is being
affected by water logging and salinity
each year. In case of Punjab, every year
70,000 acres of lands are being affected
by water logging and salinity.
 Effected areas
• All those areas of lands which occur in
Indus Basin system like Gujranwala,
Shekupura, Faisalabad, Shapur, Jhang,
Multan, Muzafar Garh and Khairpur have
wrostly been affected by water logging
and salinity.
 Effect
• Effect on farmer
Because of water logging and
salinity the agri. crops are being
affected. As a result, the
uncultivable area is increasing
along with fall in incomes of
farmers. They are becoming poor.
According to a view that the water
logging and salinity are becoming
responsible for increasing rural
inequalities.
 Effect on farmer
• As the farmers whose land are being
affected by water logging and salinity’
they are selling their lands to big
farmers at the reduced prices. These
big farmers, on the basis of their
financial, political and social position,
improve these affected lands.
Consequently, they are becoming rich.
 Effect on plants
• crops need air (specifically, oxygen) to a
greater or lesser depth in the soil. Water
logging of the soil stops air getting in. How
near the water table must be to the surface
for the ground to be classed as waterlogged,
varies with the purpose in view. A crop's
demand for freedom from water logging may
vary between seasons of the year, as with the
growing of rice.
 Effect on food
• The water logging and salinity will result
in food shortages due to fall in agri.
production. As a result, agri. goods will
have to be imported having a negative
effect on our nation.
 Effect on water
• These two menaces are also
resulting in environmental
degradation as water logging and
salinity are becoming responsible for
water pollution.
 Effect on road
• The water logging and salinity are
also affecting the means of
transportation as it becomes difficult
to construct the roads in the affected
areas along with deterioration of
existing roads etc.
 Salinity
• Salinity is the concentration of dissolved salts
found in water. It is measured as the total
amount of dissolved salts in parts per
thousand (sometimes called PSU or Practical
Salinity Units by scientists). Ten parts per
thousand is equal to one percent.
 salinity control
• Soil salinity control relates to
controlling the problem of soil
salinity and reclaiming Stalinized
agricultural land.
 salinity control
• The aim of soil salinity control is to
prevent soil degradation by salivation
and reclaim already salty (saline) soils.
Soil reclamation is also called soil
improvement, rehabilitation,
remediation, recuperation, or
amelioration.
 salinity control
• The primary man-made cause of
Stalinization is irrigation. River water or
groundwater used in irrigation contains
salts, which remain behind in the soil
after the water has evaporated.
 salinity control

The primary method of controlling soil salinity

is to permit 10-20% of the irrigation water to
leach the soil, be drained and discharged
through an appropriate drainage system. The
salt concentration of the drainage water is
normally 5 to 10 times higher than that of the
irrigation water, thus salt export matches salt
import and it will not accumulate.
 water logging
• Water logging refers to the saturation of soil
with water. Soil may be regarded as
waterlogged when the water table of the
groundwater is too high to conveniently
permit an anticipated activity, like agriculture.
 Control of water logging
• Biological control
A literature review was carried out on
investigations from around the world into
the effectiveness of biological drainage. The
review covers the impact of different types
of trees, bushes and crops on water table
and the control of water logging.
 Drainage
• Drainage is usually the best way of
reducing water logging. Other
management options to reduce the
impact of water logging include:
choice of crop, seeding, fertilizer
and weed control.
 Choice of crop species
• Some species of grains crop are more
tolerant than others. Grain legumes
and canola are generally more
susceptible to water logging than
cereals and fiber beans.
 Choice of crop species
• Crop damage is particularly severe if plants
are waterlogged between germination and
emergence. Plant first those paddocks that are
susceptible to water logging. However, if
water logging delays emergence and reduces
cereal plant density to fewer than 50
plants/m2, reshow the crop.
 Nitrogen fertilizer
• Crops tolerate waterlogging better with a
good nitrogen status before waterlogging
occurs. Applying nitrogen at the end of a
waterlogging period can be an advantage if
nitrogen was applied at or shortly after
seeding because it avoids loss by leaching or
gentrification. However, nitrogen cannot
usually be applied from vehicles when soils
are wet, so consider aerial applications
 Nitrogen fertilizer
• If water logging is moderate (7–30 days water
logging to the soil surface), then nitrogen
application after water logging events when
the crop is actively growing is recommended
where basal nitrogen applications were 0–
50kg N/ha. However, if water logging is severe
(greater than 30 days to the soil surface), then
the benefits of nitrogen application after
water logging are questionable.
 Nitrogen fertilizer
• But this recommendation requires verification
in the field at a range of basal nitrogen
applications using a selection of varieties.