In which one of the following soils, the salt content is so high that common salt is obtained by evaporating the saline water in some areas?

Arid soils, also known as desert soils, are characterized by high salt content due to intense evaporation and a lack of moisture [5]. In these dry regions, the rate of evaporation significantly exceeds precipitation, leading to the accumulation of soluble salts like sodium chloride and sodium sulphate on the soil surface [3]. This process often forms hard salt pans or saline efflorescence [5]. In certain areas, particularly in the arid regions of Rajasthan and coastal salt flats, the salt concentration in the soil and subsoil water is so high that common salt is commercially obtained by evaporating the saline water [5]. While saline soils (Usar) also exhibit these traits, they are often categorized under the broader 'Arid and Desert Soils' group in general geographic classifications of dryland regions where solar evaporation is utilized for salt production [4].

Sources

1. [5] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Desert Vegetation > p. 443
2. [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 25: Agriculture > Salinization: r > p. 368
3. [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 6: Soils > iv) Saline and Alkaline Soils > p. 19
4. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 6: Soils > 11. Saline and Alkaline Soils > p. 13
5. [4] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 25: Agriculture > Saline soils > p. 367