Abstract

Fot the objective of detailed study of desurfacing of soil due to brick kilns, two highly affected districts Rohtak and Jhajjar of Haryana state (India) were chosen to assess the extent of damage caused to soil health. These districts fall in national capital region (NCR) where requirement of bricks is enormous due to ongoing infrastructural development and new construction activities. Satellite Imageries (2007 and 2012) have clearly evidenced the mushrooming of brick kilns in this region resulting in formation of desurfaced soils at large scale. In 2007, desurfaced soils were about 1575 acres in Rohtak district, area further increased by 41.3% in 2012 after five years gap reached to 2025 acres. In Jhajjar intensity was even higher, in 2007 it was 7220 acres and in 2012 it increased to 10,220 acres by 42% increase. Physico-chemical analysis of desurfaced soil and adjoining normal soils revealed that desurfaced soils were invariably poor in organic carbon content ranging between 0.15–0.25% as compared to top soils ranging between 0.39–0.49%. Available P2O5 and K2O in desurfaced soils ranged between 11–20 and 115–259 kg/ha, respectively. Whereas in normal soils, it was 17–27 kg/ha P2O5 and 272–565 kg/ha K2O. As a result of low organic carbon, low P and K, higher bulk density and low hydraulic conductivity, collectively resulted in poor wheat plant growth in desurfaced soils.