SOIL SURVEY

There is a separate soil survey organization under GERI headed by a Superintending Engineer (Soil, Drainage and Reclamation). There are three soil survey division headed by Soil Survey Officers working in different parts of the state.

 Important Activities Undertaken

Reconnaissance soil survey in command areas of Water Resources Projects  

SOILS, DRAINAGE & RECLAMATION CIRCLE

            Superintending  Engineer: Soils, Drainage & Reclamation Circle is working under administrative control of Chief Engineer & Director, Gujarat Engineering Research Institute. Superintending Engineer (S.D.& R.) is  assisted by three soil survey divisions, headed by Soil Survey Officers equivalent to Executive Engineer, and are involved in the following activities for major and medium irrigation projects in the state.

Important Activities Undertaken :-  

1. The pre-irrigation reconnaissance soil survey at feasibility stage and detailed soil   survey at execution stage is required to be taken up for irrigation project  to make    interpretation of irrigation suitability of  land, based on such data cropping pattern,  intensity of irrigation,  sizing of canal etc. are decided. These data forms base line for   future monitoring.

 2. Post-irrigation soil survey are carried out after irrigation potentials are created, to  monitor the change in soil properties due to effect of irrigation and to identifying the  changes and problems (positive and negative impacts).

3.  The Sub Soil Water Table (S.S.W.T.) observations in the command areas of various     major and medium irrigation projects in the state are taken twice in a year i.e. pre-    monsoon (May-June) and post-monsoon (Oct.-Nov.). open cum dug wells are    allocated  for observation. The S.S.W.T. is measured and samples are collected from    fixed wells for the study of quality of well water in relation to irrigation purpose.     These observations are continuously carried out since last more than 2 decades.