Land modification models for restoring degraded waterlogged sodic soil in canal irrigated Indo-Gangetic plain of India: A socio-economic evaluation Mandal Subhasis1,*, Mishra V K2, Verma C L3, Sharma P.C.1 1ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal-132 001 2ICAR-Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam-793 103 3ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Lucknow-224 006 *Corresponding author: subhasis2006@gmail.com
Online Published on 16 March, 2022. Abstract Sharda Sahayak Canal irrigation in part of the Indo-Gangetic plain led to twin problems of waterlogging and sodic soil formation. Inadequate drainage and seepages from the canal resulted in a rise in the water table and upward movement of salts on the surface soil made the land highly alkaline (pH over 9). After realising benefits for some years, the negative externalities offset the positive impact which led to crop losses, estimated to the extent of 45 and 62% for rice and wheat yields. Land and water productivity diminished and caused severe loss of livelihoods for the farmers adjacent to the canal area. Efforts to restore such land through conventional methods of gypsum-based reclamation, intercept drainage through perforated pipelines and eucalyptus bio-drainage belt were not found successful. The innovative land modification models (LMM) were evolved to harvest and use the seepage water from the canal and demonstrated at farmers’ fields. Land and water quality improved and multiple crops were possible to grow on this degraded land. Economic evaluation in terms of financial feasibility, socioeconomic suitability and sustainability of LMM models were assessed. The break-even size of interventions of the models was 0.44 ha and 0.38 ha for crop-based and fish-based systems. The models can be a solution to techno-economically sustainable problems, challenged by socio-economic constraints to some extent, which can be addressed through policy initiative, have been suggested. Top |