Land Reclamation, Irrigation and Power Research Institute, Punjab, Amritsar.
Amongst various preventive and remedial measures, construction of surface-cam-seepage drains is considered a most effective measure for preventing water-table to rise. Such drains help in quick disposal of storm water during the monsoon and draining out of surplus sub-soil water afterwards. The functioning of these, however, very much depends upon the texture and other conditions of the soil. These, when laid in heavy soils as are obtained in certain districts of Punjab do not function as seepage drains as the ground water does not easily drain out from such soils on account of their high clay contents, high pH and percentages of total soluble salts in the soil crust which may be quite deep.
With a view to enable these to function as seepage drains as well in such soils, investigations were carried out by fixing release pipes and connecting pervious strata existing below the impervious clay pan to the bed of drains. It was observed that by doing so the ground water drained out easily from pervious strata below clay pan and discharged into the drains through release pipes. Consequently the discharge of drains increased considerably. Thus the introduction of release pipes in or near the bed of surface drains in clayey soils proved to be of a great advantage. Such drains could then not only act as storm drains but also as seepage drains as well.
