Country and state-wise assessment on the problem of waterlogging, salinity and alkalinity in all major and medium irrigation projects - Reports by Central Water Commission (2009)

Government of India, spends millions of rupees on the development of irrigation projects throughout the country. These irrigated croplands, though limited to about 30 percent of the gross cropped area, contribute more than 50 percent of the total agricultural production.This signifies that scientific management of irrigation water and irrigated croplands has emerged in a big way. There is an increase in cropping intensity and production.

But there are some negative consequences of irrigation also. As per published reports considerable areas in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat Haryana and few other states, twin problems of waterlogging and salinity is alarming. If this remains unnoticed over the years a large area will be turned into barren areas. In this context these reports have been prepared.

This collection of reports by Central Water Commission provides a detailed inventory about the spatial extent and severity of waterlogging and salinity/alkalinity problem in the command areas of all major and medium irrigation projects in the country. It is prepared with a motive that preventive and ameliorative measures can be taken to arrest degradation of productive agricultural lands.

Reports on assessment of water logging and salinity in major and medium irrigation commands are important as they help in determining the sustainability of any irrigated production system. Remote sensing tool has been used to map and monitor waterlogging and soil salinity / alkalinity in the irrigated areas.

This project of mapping the problems of water logging and salinity across the country was entrusted to Regional Remote Sensing Service Centres, Jodhpur by Central Water Commission. The project was aimed at fulfilling following objectives and deliverables:

• Assessment of saline and /sodic lands using multi–temporal satellite data.
• Spatial correlation between critical ground water depth (from well observation data) and surface waterlogging manifested on satellite data.
• Development of information system by integrating all (collected/processed/developed) during the study for all the states and union territories.
• Preparation of state wise and consolidated report for the country as a whole.