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An area is said to be waterlogged when the water table rises to the extent that soil pores in the root zone of a crop become saturated, resultingin the restriction of normal circulation of the air, decline in the level of oxygen, and an increase in the level of carbon dioxide.
Apart from soil erosion, there are many ill-drained, low lying areas in India where the soil has been damaged by water-logging (Fig. 6.7). The main causes of waterlogging are: (i) seepage of water from canals, (ii) faulty on farm water management, (iii) lack of drainage, (iv) interception of natural drainge, (v) indiscriminate cultivation in bed of drainage channel, and (vi) inundation of marine delta cycles, and (vii) inundation in coastal areas during cyclonic storms. Water logging has affected substantial tracts of land along the Indira Gandhi Canal (Rajasthan) and the canals of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Adequate development of drainage and lining of the canals to reduce water seepage can go a long way in the reclamation of water-logged areas.