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. As a
result, the lands become uncultivable.
Water Logging and Salinity in
Pakistan
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.
Cont…..
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 (Cont…)
• 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.
• 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.
Effects
farmers
plants
food
Water
Road
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 (Cont….)
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
Salinized agricultural land.
The aim of soil salinity control is to prevent
soil degradation by salination and reclaim
already salty (saline) soils. Soil reclamation is
also called soil improvement, rehabilitation,
remediation, recuperation, or amelioration.
Salinity Control( Cont….)
• The primary man-made cause of Salinization is
irrigation. River water or groundwater used in
irrigation contains salts, which remain behind
in the soil after the water has evaporated.
• 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

Drainage
Choice of crop species
Nitrogen fertilizer
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.
• 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.
However, nitrogen cannot usually be applied
from vehicles when soils are wet, so consider
aerial applications