An agricultural land is said to be waterlogging when the soil pores within the roof zone of the crops are saturated to such an extent that normal circulation of air within the soil pores is totally cut off and productivity of soil is affected. Waterlogging generally occurs because of over-irrigation , high water table and the poor water management. The yield of crop is adversely affected when the depth of water table is equal to or less then the one given below.

1. A. D. PATEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Civil Engineering Department
Topic:- Water Logging
Irrigation Engineering
Guide By :
Prof. Drishti Bhatt
Academic Year 2020-21
Group Members :
Kiran Prajapati
Harsh Shani
Rajan Tank

2. CONTENT:-
• Water Logging
• Cause Of Waterlogging
• Effects Of Waterlogging
• Measures For Prevention Of Waterlogging
• Drainage System

3. WHAT IS WATER LOGGING
An agricultural land is said to be waterlogging when the soil pores within the roof
zone of the crops are saturated to such an extent that normal circulation of air within the soil
pores is totally cut off and productivity of soil is affected. Waterlogging generally occurs
because of over-irrigation , high water table and the poor water management.
The yield of crop is adversely affected when the depth of water table is equal to or less
then the one given below.
Crops Depth of water table (m)
Cotton 1.5 to 1.8
Rice 0.6
Sugarcane 0.9
Fodder crop 1.2

4. Water logging

5. CAUSE OF WATERLOGGING
The various causes of waterlogging are as follows :
1. Over Irrigation :
When irrigation water is liberally applied to the fields, the excess water percolates
deep into the ground and joins the water table. Thus, water table rise in the area.
2. Inadequate surface drainage :
When the surface drainage is not adequate, the heavy precipitation in the area causes
of flooding of the land. This gives rise to heavy percolation and water tables rises in the area.

6. 3. Seepage from canals :
Water seepage from the bed and sides of an unlined canal. It adds to the ground water
reservoir and there is a general rise in the water table, which may lead to waterlogging .
4. Obstruction of natural drainage :
If a natural drainage is obstructed by irrigation channel, road or rail embankments, it
will not be able to pass the rain water. There will thus be flooding in the area and consequent
waterlogging of land.
5. Obliteration of natural drainage :
Sometime the cultivation plough up and obliterate an existing natural drainage . This
results in stoppage of storm water flow and consequents flooding and waterlogging of land.

7. 6. Construction of reservoir :
The seepage from a reservoir augments the ground water storage and consequent rise
in water table may cause waterlogging.
7. Nature of soil :
waterlogging depends upon the nature of soil. A soil having low permeability such as
block cotton soil is prone to waterlogging due to over irrigation or flooding.

8. EFFECTS OF WATERLOGGING
The ill effects of waterlogging are :
1. Reduction in plant growth :
Due to waterlogging, there is absence of aeration in the root zone of plants.
Some of the plant nutrients are produced by soil Bactria. These bacteria need oxygen
for their life and activity and are unable to live and function under anaerobic
conditions.
2. Difficulty in cultivation :
As the land becomes waterlogging, the soil becomes slushy and puddled, and the
cultivation become difficult.

9. 6. Growth of weeds :
Due to availability of excessive water at the land surface, there is
growth water weeds. This results in a decrease of the crop yield.
7. Cause malaria:
The waterlogged land becomes a breeding place for mosquitoes which
may cause malaria.
8. Damp climate :
Due to waterlogging, the climate becomes damp which may affect the
health of the community.

10. MEASURES FOR PREVENTION OF WATERLOGGING
The following measures can be taken to prevent waterlogging or to relieve the area
already affected by waterlogging.
1. Restricted irrigation :
The cultivators should be educated for economic use of water.
The intensity of irrigation should be kept low.
The average annual intensity of irrigation should not be more than 40 to 60%.
2. Efficient surface drainage :
An efficient surface drainage system which permits a quick flow of rain water. helps
to reduce the waterlogging.

11. 3. Reducing seepage from canals :
The seepage from canal can be reduced by the following ways. lining of irrigation
channels lowering of F.S.L. in the channels constructing intercepting drains along the canals.
4. Improving natural drainage of the area :
The natural drainages such as streams and rivers should be improved. It involves
removing obstructions to the flow such as weeds, bushes and other vegetation from the stream.
Increasing bed slopes of the streams also improves the drainage.
5. Prevention of seepage from reservoir:
The seepage from small reservoirs can be reduced by lining the surface of the
reservoirs. For large reservoirs, suitably designed toe filters should be provided so that the
seepage from the reservoirs is discharged into the natural streams.

12. 6. Changing the crop pattern:
In regions susceptible to waterlogging, the crop pattern should be changed. The crop
requiring heavy irrigation should be avoided and those requiring light irrigation should be
encouraged.
7. Adopting well irrigation:
If the well irrigation is adopted in the area, the water table goes down and the chances
of waterlogging of the land are considerably reduced. A combination of canal Irrigation and
well irrigation must be employed in such regions.
8. Adopting better methods of application of water:
By adopting efficient methods of application of water, such as sprinkler irrigation and
drip irrigation, waterlogging can be prevented.

13. 9. Changing the assessment method :
If the water supplied to the cultivators is assessed on area basis, the cultivators have a
tendency to use excessive water which causes waterlogging. By adopting the volumetric
assessment of water, the excess use of water is controlled and the chances of waterlogging are
reduced.

14. DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
A properly designed drainage system is quite effective in preventing
waterlogging. It is also an effective method for reclamation of the waterlogged
land. A well designed drainage system is required in the regions where the
water table is high and the irrigation facility is extended such as delta regions.
The drainage systems can be broadly classified as under :

15. Drainage
Systems
Surface drainage
system (open drains)
Shallow open
drains
Deep open drains
Sub-surface
drainage systems
(closed drains)
Tile drains

16. a) Open drains:
Open drains are constructed below the ground surface. These drains are open at top.
Open drains can be further classified into the following two types :
1.Shallow open drains
2. Deep open drains
1. Shallow open drains :
These drains are used to drain away excess irrigation water supplied to the agricultural
fields. These drains may also be designed to dispose of surface water due to rains. These drains
are useful for reducing the percolation of water to the ground water reservoir, and thus prevent
waterlogging of the irrigated land.

17. 2. Deep open drains:
These drains are used to drain out the sub soil and hence they are useful for prevention of
waterlogging of land as well as for relieving the land already waterlogged. These drains are
commonly used as outlet drains for a closed drain system for the reclamation of waterlogged
land.
Disadvantages of open drains :
I. For the construction of open drains valuable agricultural land is wasted.
II. pen drains obstruct the farming operations.
III. For communication across the drains culverts are required, which increase the cost.
IV. Valuable plant nutrients are washed down in the open drains.

18. Open drains

19. b) Closed drains :
Closed drains are also called tiled drains or sub surface drains. These drains
are useful for prevention of waterlogging of land as. well as for relieving the land
already waterlogged.
Closed drains are usually in the form of tile drains (porous earthen ware) or
pipe drains. They are provided below the ground surface at a depth of 1 to 1.50 m. The
usual diameter of tile drain is 100 mm. The usual spacing of these drains is from 15 to
45 m. These drains are laid at a gradient steeper than 1 in 500. As far as possible, the
closed drains should be placed in a permeable stratum to ensure effective drainage. If
the drain has to be placed in a impervious soil, it should be surrounded by a properly
designed filter. usually consists of coarse sand and river sand (bajari).

20. Closed drains

21. REFERENSES:-
• All picture are collected by www.google.com
• www.wekepadia.com
• Irrigation and water resources engineering book (G.L.Asawa)