Waterlogging and Salinity in the Indus Plain: Comment

Mr. Ghulam Mohammad, Senior Research Economist of the Pakistan institute of Development Economics, by publishing his critical analysis of the Revelle Report in Volume IV, No. 3 of the Pakistan Development Review [4] has done a great service to the country. A chance has, thus, been created to examine some of the recommendations for the solution of the problem as put forth by the Panel of scientists from America. Ghulam Mohammad has summarised the major recommendations of the Revelle Report and then commented upon these, giving alternative suggestions. The ma,n recommendations of the report are to install tubewells in the large agricultural regions of the Indus Plain. This suggestion is to supple¬ment the insufficient diversion of the surface water and at the same time to effect the drainage of the land. Ghulam Mohammad has discussed the results of the quality of groundwater, and has concluded, ”that groundwater of the Indus Plain are charged with dangerous limits of bicarbonates and sodium contents and their indiscriminate utilization will make the soils alkaline and impermeable.” In his opinion, tubewells should not be installed in areas where concentration of sodium or bicarbonates is very high.