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(iv) Saline and Alkaline Soils


Soil salinity and alkalinity are found in the relatively less rainfall recording areas where the rate of evaporation is generally higher than the rale of precipitation. They also develop in the Khadar lands and the canal irrigated areas. Under such conditions, the ground water level rises and saline and alkaline efflorescence consisting of salts of sodium, calcium, and manganese appear on the surface as a layer of white salt through capillary action. According to one estimate, about 80 lakh hectares (2.4% of the country’s reporting area) has been adversely affected by saline and alkaline formations.