Spatial assessment and chemical characterization of degraded (salt-affected) soils at post-reclamation stage of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in Haryana State.

Dynamics of soil salinity and sodicity is a common feature driven by anthropogenic causes such as soil reclamation, the effect of extreme climate events, disturbed salt, and water balance in irrigated areas that are devoid of any good quality groundwater source and adequate natural surface drainage condition in a semiarid climatic region. Periodic soil salinity assessment is therefore vital to know the current soil salinity status, plan reclamation, and/or management strategies for sustained agricultural growth and livelihood security. Temporal studies using Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) LISS III data, at pre- (1997) and post-reclamation (2017) stages have indicated spatial changes as reclaimed areas (~ 35%) and dynamics of soil salinity as increased areas (~ 61%) under irrigation across the Gangetic plain of Haryana State. The prominent areas of reclaimed sodic soil soils were located in the old alluvial plain which covered Panipat (12.32%), Karnal (6.01%), and Jind (5.9%) districts. Based on pH, ECe, and ESP values, these were classified as slight (Sso1, 8.75%), moderate (Sso2, 24.73%), and strong (Sso3, 18.20%) sodic soils, respectively. Significant salinity-inflictions (emerging areas) were identified at low-lying, poorly drained, irrigated soils in south and central Haryana that cover Jhajjar (13.99%), Sirsa (11.06%), Hisar (10.15%), Rohtak (8.73%), Bhiwani (6.43%), Palwal (4.31%), and Rewari (3.01%) districts. Slight (Ssa1, 16.82%), and moderate (Ssa2, 22.13%), categories are dominant soils, respectively. Among the landforms, significant areas (28.24%) were identified in the old alluvial plain with sand dunes (OAPSD), aeo-fluvial plain (AFP, 8.6%), and fluvio-aeolian plain (FAP, 6.0%), respectively. Dominant areas of reclaimed soils (14.4%) were identified in OAPSD. The soil analysis data indicated that these soil are moderate to strongly sodic (pH 8.7-11.0) and saline (ECe 4-26 dS m-1 ). The reclaimed sodic soils showed prominent improvement in soil pH and sodicity levels (pH 8.3-9.2) at 0-15 cm depth and are commonly located in the Ghaggar and Yamuna river plains. Poor quality groundwater with high Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) was dominant at selected locations under the arid and semiarid climate. The database can also be used as a reference database for further monitoring of soil salinity status particularly in the irrigated regions. Currently, it is also used as a primary database for harmonization, monitoring, and reconciling of similar soils of the world under the Global Soil Partnership projects.