ِ ‫بِس ِْم هَّللا ِ الرَّحْ َم ِن الر‬

‫َّحيم‬

WATER LOGGING
Waleed Ramzan
AG-MC-43
SES-302: Salt-Affected Soils and Water Quality
UNDERSTANDING WATERLOGGING

• Waterlogging is simply the

saturation of soil with water,
either temporarily or
permanently. When there is too
much water in an area, the soil
is unable to absorb the water as
it should ordinarily.
• It can also happen when the
water table rises to the extent
that the soil pores in the crop
root zone.
• Generally, soils with a water
table depth of 1.5m are
considered as Waterlogged
soils.
 FACTORS
Waterlogging can be categorized into various types,
based on certain factors.
• First, we have causes, meaning the cause is either
natural, like natural swamps, or human-induced, like Why?
through agriculture.
• Secondly, we have permanence, where waterlogging
can either be temporary, lasting between a few days to
several months or permanent, meaning it occurs
For How
throughout the year. Long?
• Thirdly, we look at the source of water, meaning the
water could either be rain-fed, coming from excess
rainfall, or from irrigation sources, being the excess
water from agricultural plantations. From Where?
• Finally, we look at the location of the waterlogging,
which could either be on agricultural land, including
cultivated lands or on other utility lands, like urban Where?
areas.
CAUSES OF WATERLOGGING

1. Physiography
• topography
• slope
• shape and drainage
patterns of a place
CAUSES OF WATERLOGGING

2. Weather, Especially
Atmospheric Conditions That
Result in Heavy Rainfall and
Flooding
CAUSES OF WATERLOGGING

3. Soil Type
Heavy clay soils like black
cotton soils, and soils prone to
surface sealing, hold moisture
for long periods, meaning they
become waterlogged easily.
CAUSES OF WATERLOGGING

4. Geology
• An impervious stratum
below the topsoil.
• Areas with shallow soils.
• hardpan close to the
surface.
• hardpan close to the
surface.
CAUSES OF WATERLOGGING

5. Seepage Inflows
CAUSES OF WATERLOGGING

6. Excessive Irrigation and Poor

Drainage System by Farmers
• inadequate drainage.
• poor irrigation
management.
• obstruction of natural
drainages.
• seepages from canals as the
case in Pakistan.
• parches are landlocked
without outlets.
EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

1. Poor Soil Aeration

• The inadequate supply of
oxygen retards or ceases
the growth of a plant as
the accumulating carbon
dioxide hampers the
growth of the plant’s
roots.
• Growth of toxins and
other injurious
substances.
• Reduced microbiological
activity
EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

2. It Alters the pH of the Soil

• In the flooded soils, the pH
changes and becomes
more acidic.
EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

3. Change in Soil Temperatures

• Waterlogging lowers the
temperature of the soil.
• Low temperatures of the
moist soil, affect the
microorganisms and their
activities,
• subsequently lowering the
rate of nitrogen-fixation.
EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

4. Affecting Soil Nutrients

• Nitrogen is vital to the soil
and waterlogged soils
suffer from nitrogen
deficiency.
• The climate created by
waterlogging affects not
only the nitrogen nutrients
but also other minerals
such as
sulphur, zinc, iron, mangan
ese, phosphorous and pota
ssium
.
EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

5. Retard Cultivation
• There is difficulty in
cultivating in waterlogged
soils.
• All crops fail to survive
because of the underlying
conditions and as such,
crops are adversely
affected.
• Only rice can survive in
such an environment.
EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

6. Accumulation of Harmful
Salts
• Waterlogging creates an
atmosphere which brings
toxic salts to the crop root-
zone.
• The accumulating salts
also turn the soil more
alkaline and hamper the
growth of crops.
EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

7. The Growth of Water-loving

Wild Plants
• Waterlogging causes wild
plants which thrive in
waterlogged environments
to grow.
• These weeds effectively kill
useful crops and getting rid
of them is an extra
investment, especially in
extreme waterlogged
conditions.
EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

8. The Loss of Cash Crops

• Most cash crops cannot
survive or be cultivated in
waterlogged soils. It,
therefore, makes farmers
starve and lose out on the
cash they would otherwise
get from selling their
crops.
• It also forces them to
switch to rice, assuming it
can grow in such areas.
EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING

9. Effects on Human Health

• Waterlogging has an
effect on the environment
by the fact
that it harbors disease
vectors like mosquitoes,
slugs, and snails.
• They, in turn, bring
illnesses like malaria,
bilharzia, typhoid, and
others, which affect the
human population,
animals, and plants,
effectively affecting the
environment.
VARIOUS WAYS OF PREVENTING
WATERLOGGING
1. Control the Loss of Water
• The seepage loss from the
canals can be reduced by a
number of measures.
• Lowering the full supply level
(FSL) of the canals
• Lining the canal section
• Introducing intercepting
drains
VARIOUS WAYS OF PREVENTING
WATERLOGGING
2. Augmenting Outflow and
Preventing Inflows
• Underground drainage
grids can be introduced.
VARIOUS WAYS OF PREVENTING
WATERLOGGING
3. Disposing of the Rainwater
• Rainwater should be
quickly removed from the
soil’s surface, thereby
preventing a rise in the
level of the water table and
subsequent waterlogging.
VARIOUS WAYS OF PREVENTING
WATERLOGGING
4. Preventing the Loss of Water
• The loss of percolation can
be eliminated by
using water more economi
cally
.
• It can also be achieved by
keeping the intensity of
irrigation low.
VARIOUS WAYS OF PREVENTING
WATERLOGGING
5. Not Using Alkaline Water
• Alkaline water used in
irrigation affects the soil and
makes it more susceptible to
waterlogging in the future.
• For this reason, alkaline
water should not be used for
irrigation purposes.
• The mineral Alkali salts can
accumulate on
top of the soil – creating a
crust on the surface that
prevents the surface water
to drain as required.
VARIOUS WAYS OF PREVENTING
WATERLOGGING
6. Raise the Beds
• If you are working on a
small garden which is
becoming waterlogged,
you might consider raising
it and growing your plants
on raised beds.
VARIOUS WAYS OF PREVENTING
WATERLOGGING
7. Install Proper Drainage
Systems
• Before and when draining
the water, be sure not to
adversely affect the
environment or
neighboring lands which
might also be affected by
the waterlogging.
 WATER LOGGING IN PAKISTAN

Province Punjab Sindh NWFP Baluchistan Seepage of water from canal

system
Area (000 ha) 695.8 624.6 91.8 142.1
• The main cause of waterlogging
Extent of Waterlogging in Pakistan in Pakistan is seepage of water
from network of canal system.
• 40-50% water is lost from main
canals ,seeps through soil and
raised the ground water.
• In some cases the water table
has risen up to root zones or
even surface of soil.
SCARP PROGRAM
Salinity Control and Reclamation Project
-WAPDA
 HISTORY

 SCARP was launched by WAPDA in early 60’s for Salinity control

and Reclamation of Water Logged soils.
 The project involved the provision of tubewell linings in support of
the Salinity Control and Reclamation Programme (SCARP) under
which publicly owned tubewells were constructed all over
Pakistan.
 The aim of SCARP was to increase agricultural production by
reducing soil salinity and providing irrigation water.
 ODA provided £3.9m worth of linings which were used over 1976-
79. The overall programme cost around £60m and was mainly
funded by the Government of Pakistan.
 THE MAIN FINDINGS
• The tubewells linings provided by ODA were used for the construction of over 3,000 tubewells in 12 different SCARP areas mainly in
Punjab, Sind and NWFP.
• The majority of the tubewells installed were working at the time of the evaluation and the life expectancy of the wells was expected to
slightly exceed appraisal estimates. For the SCARP programmes covered by the ODA project tubewells were found to be generally
more cost-effective than the main technical alternative of tile drainage.
• The benefits from the SCARP programme as a whole were below potential
• There was some reduction in waterlogging and soil salinity but there were signs that these gains might be reversed in future.
• Although agricultural production had increased the targeted improvement in yields had not been achieved.
• The evaluators compared the economic returns from increased agricultural production to the cost of installing, operating and
maintaining tubewells in three case study areas.
• The results indicated that despite the failure to achieve agriculture production targets an acceptable ERR of 11-13% was expected over
the working life of the tubewells.
• The operation and maintenance of tubewells was the responsibility of Provincial Governments but the level of resources allocated to
the task was in inadequate. Private farmers benefiting from tubewells were making only a limited financial contribution through user
charges.
• ODA's decision to support SCARP was made in the knowledge that there were weaknesses in the design, operation and maintenance of
tubewells. The appraisal correctly identified the need to provide tubewells as part of a range of measures to improve agricultural
performance and existing irrigation infrastructure.
• The failure to achieve this in practice may have contributed to the failure to achieve yield targets.
 FUTURE STRATEGIES
 SCARPs are likely to be more effective if implemented alongside
programmes which provide agricultural extension and input supplies;
improve water management; and maintain and rehabilitate existing
drainage and irrigation infrastructure.
 Institutional strengthening and policy measures may be required to
ensure adequate funding of the operation and maintenance of completed
SCARPs. The right balance between public funding and the need to
charge economic rates for water use is important for sustainability.
 More research is required at the project level to establish the agricultural
impact of SCARP and, in particular, the reasons why yields have not
increased in line with targets.
 For effective monitoring of irrigation and drainage projects donors need
to improve reporting and to design arrangements at the appraisal stage
for assessing project impact through baseline and follow up surveys.