Another great problem faced by Indian Soil is related to salinity and alkalinity. About 80 lakh hectares (2.43%) of the country’s area is experienc­ing this severe problem which is assuming menacing form in canal irrigated tracts of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh; arid regions of Rajasthan; semi-arid areas of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka and coastal zones of the Eastern and Western Coasts.

Here saline and alkaline efflorescences consisting of salts of sodium, calcium and magnesium appear on the surface as a layer of white salt through capillary action and make the soil infertile. In Uttar Pradesh about 12.5 lakh ha. And in the Punjab 12.1 lakh ha. Of areas have been rendered useless by user soils.

Water logging

Waterlogging is another major problem faced by the Indian soils. It is mainly caused by the defective drainage, excessive rainfall and raising of the water table (in canal irrigated areas). Figure 7.5 exhibits the extent of waterlogged soils in India which have been classified under three sub catego­ries : (a) frequent, (b) less frequent, and (c) occa­sional.