---
title: "Anti-waterlogging measures"
subject: "Irrigation and Drainage Engineering"
chapter: 9
key: "semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering:anti-waterlogging-measures"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering/anti-waterlogging-measures
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Anti-waterlogging measures

Irrigation and Drainage Engineering · Chapter 9: Water Logging and Drainage

- Asked in: 2079 Chaitra, 5 marks
- Video: [Irrigation- Water logging // Causes of Water logging // Effects // Measures to prevent Water logging](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgpiY85nARU) — Yogendra Ram Meena
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering/anti-waterlogging-measures
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/irrigation_and_drainage_engineering/chapter-9

## Question

Describe various methods adopted as anti-waterlogging measures.

## Short answer

Preventive measures include canal lining, controlled irrigation, and improving natural drainage. Remedial measures involve surface drains, subsurface tile or mole drains, and vertical drainage via tube wells to lower the water table.

## Answer

Anti-waterlogging measures are the steps taken to **prevent** the water table from rising, and to **reclaim** land that is already waterlogged.

#### 1. Preventive measures
- **Lining of canals and water courses** to reduce seepage losses.
- **Controlled irrigation:** supply only the crop requirement, with a proper irrigation interval (avoid over-watering).
- **Efficient water management:** rotational supply (warabandi), farmer training, volumetric charges.
- **Improving the natural drainage:** clearing, deepening and straightening natural streams; providing cross-drainage works of adequate waterway so that roads, canals and embankments do not obstruct flow.
- **Intensity of irrigation** limited to the available drainage capacity; avoiding unlined canals on high-seepage ground; and a good cropping pattern.
- **Interceptor drains** along the canal.

#### 2. Remedial (reclamation) measures
- **Surface drains:** open field, collector and main drains.
- **Subsurface drains:** tile or pipe drains and mole drains, to lower the water table to a safe depth (about 1.5 m or more).
- **Vertical drainage:** tube wells or pump wells; pumped water is reused for irrigation.
- **Biological drainage:** deep-rooted trees such as eucalyptus along canals and fields.
- Land levelling and construction of embankments against floods.

Prevention is cheaper than cure; a combination of lining and surface drains is generally adopted, with tile drains or tube wells for severely affected areas.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What is the difference between preventive and remedial measures?
   A. Preventive stops the water table rising; remedial reclaims land already waterlogged
   B. Preventive lowers the table; remedial prevents rise
   C. Both are the same
   D. Preventive means tube wells only
   Answer: A. Preventive measures avoid rise of the table (lining, controlled irrigation); remedial measures reclaim affected land. (Key point: Preventive vs remedial)

2. Which is a preventive measure?
   A. Installing tile drains
   B. Lining canals and water courses to reduce seepage
   C. Pumping tube wells
   D. Planting eucalyptus
   Answer: B. Lining reduces seepage that recharges groundwater. (Key point: Preventive measures)

3. What is biological drainage?
   A. Mole drains in clay
   B. Pumping wells
   C. Deep-rooted trees such as eucalyptus along canals that take up water
   D. Open field drains
   Answer: C. Deep-rooted trees transpire large amounts of water and lower the water table. (Key point: Biological drainage)

4. Which general approach is adopted?
   A. Only tube wells everywhere
   B. Reclamation first, prevention is unnecessary
   C. Raise irrigation intensity
   D. Prevention is cheaper than cure; lining plus surface drains, with tile drains or tube wells for severe areas
   Answer: D. Prevention costs less, and severely affected areas get tile drains or tube wells. (Key point: Cost approach)

## Related in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

- [Water logging remedies and surface drainage in Terai](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Firrigation_and_drainage_engineering%3Awater-logging-causes-surface-drainage-terai) — Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, chapter 9

## Related in other subjects

- [Fecal-oral route and preventive measures](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fwater_supply_engineering%3Afecal-oral-preventive) — Water Supply Engineering, chapter 4