ON-FARM DRAINAGE AND WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF SALINE DRAINAGE EFFLUENT

Abstract

The research project entitled, On-Farm Drainage and Water Management Strategies to Minimize Environmental Impact of Saline Drainage Effluent" was prepared in 1992 by Drainage and Reclamation Institute of Pakistan (DRIP), now Drainage Research Centre (DRC) , with a total cost of 11, 05, 000. The PC- I of this project was submitted to Pakistan Science Foundation, Islamabad for financing through Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources. After evaluation by technical committee of Pakistan Science Foundation ·it was approved on 13.3.1993 for Rs. 10,42,017 with completion period of 36 months. As less funds were released against the estimated cost of the project therefore it was difficult to achieve all the above mentioned objectives of the project. Thus, it was decided to carryout the research on tile drainage system and its performance, use of saline drainage effluent for crop production and disposal of saline drainage effluent through injection wells. Installation of tile drainage system at Soomro Farm Jacobabad .started in December 1992 and completed in August 1993. The total area comprised of 210 acres in which tile drainage was provided with composite layout system. Area was divided in two units. Before the construction of tile drainage system the bench mark data of the project was collected. Minor effect was observed in groundwater levels during pumping Ln- non rice season after harvest of rice crop as watertable was close to drain depth.