11. What was considered a viable alternative to the multipurpose projects and why?
Ans. The disadvantages and growing resistance to multipurpose projects have led to the conclusion that water harvesting systems are a viable alternative, both socio-economically and environmentally.
12. What are dams? How do these help to conserve and manage water
Ans. A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment.
(i) Dams were traditionally built to impound rivers and rainwater that could be used later to irrigate agricultural fields.
(ii) Dams are also a source of perennial canals.
13. Who proclaimed the dams as the temples of modern India? Give a reason.
Ans. Jawaharlal Nehru proudly proclaimed the dams as the ‘temples of modern India’; the reason being that it would integrate the development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialisation and growth of the urban economy.
14. How has Tamil Nadu solved the problem of acute shortage of water?
Ans. Tamil Nadu has been able to deal with the problem of acute shortage of water by adopting rooftop water harvesting techniques. This practice was made mandatory under the law for all houses across the state.
15. Does urbanisation lead to water pollution? Elaborate.
Ans. Urbanisation leads to water pollution. This can be understood through the following arguments:
(1) Concretization due to urbanization leads to less groundwater recharge.
(2) Industrial effluents are released into the water system without any treatment leading to pollution.
Section-C (3 Marks)
16. ‘Multipurpose projects and large dams have also been the cause of many social movements. ’ Name any two such movements. Why these movements were launched
Ans. Multipurpose projects and large dams have also been the cause of many new social movements like the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’ and ‘Tehri Dam Andolan’ etc. Resistance to these projects has primarily been due to the large–scale displacement of local communities. Local people often had to give up their land, livelihood and their meagre access and control over resources for the greater good of the nation.
17. Why are different water harvesting systems considered a viable alternative both socio-economically and environmentally in a country like India?
Ans. (i) Water harvesting is a very cheap and affordable method of conservation of water.
(ii) Indian people have in-depth knowledge of rainfall regimes and soil types. They have developed techniques to harvest rainwater, groundwater, rainwater and flood water in keeping with the local ecological conditions and their water needs.
(iii) Rainwater harvesting techniques are more environment friendly as compared to multipurpose river projects.
18. How does an increasing number of industries exert pressure on existing freshwater resources?
Ans. (i) Industries used water as the coolant, raw material, solvent, etc.
(ii) Industries release harmful chemicals which contaminate water.
(iii) Most of the Indian rivers are polluted due to toxic chemicals which are released by industries.
19. Write the adverse effects of over-exploitation of groundwater resources.
Ans. Pumping out more water from under the ground may lead to falling groundwater levels.
(i) It will adversely affect water availability.
(ii) This, in turn, will affect our agriculture and food security of the people.
(iii) The impoverishment of water resources may adversely affect the ecological cycle.
Section-D (5 Marks)
20. What is the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’? Why was it organized? What are the issues raised by this movement?
Ans. a. Narmada Bachao Andolan is a prominent social movement to acquire access to and control natural resources endowed to the local people.
b. The activities of the Narmada Bachao Andolan in the late 1980s and 1990s brought worldwide attention to the plight of the people from the area of Sardar Sarovar Dam across the Narmada River which is spread over the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
c. Narmada Bachao Andolan is a non-Government Organisation that mobilized tribal people, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against Sardar Sarovar Dam.
d. It originally focused on the environmental issues related to trees that would be submerged under the dam water.
e. Recently it has refocused the aim to enable poor citizens, especially the oustees to get full rehabilitation facilities from the government.
21. Why is rooftop rainwater harvesting important in Rajasthan? Explain.
Ans. Rooftop rainwater harvesting is important in Rajasthan because of the following reasons.
a. The rainwater stored in tankas is an extremely reliable source of drinking water when all other sources are dried up.
b. Rainwater is considered the purest form of natural water.
c. Many houses have constructed underground rooms adjoining the tankas to beat the summer heat as it would keep the room clean.
d. There is a lack of perennial rivers in Rajasthan.
e. The rainfall is not reliable in this region.
22. What is bamboo drip irrigation? Mention any two features of it.
Ans. (A) (i) About 18-20 liters of water enters the bamboo pipe system, gets transported over hundreds of meters and finally reduces to 20-80 drops per minute at the site of the plant.
(ii) Bamboo drip irrigation system is practiced in Meghalaya.
(B) Features of bamboo drip irrigation;
(i) Bamboo drip irrigation system is a 200-year-old system of tapping stream and strip water by using bamboo pipe.
(ii) Bamboo pipes are used to divert perennial springs on the hilltops to the lower reaches by gravity.
(iii) The channel sections, made of bamboo, divert water to the plant site where it is distributed into branches.
Section-E (4 Marks)
23. Earth’s 3/4th surface is covered with water still there is water scarcity, though water is considered as a renewable resource its availability is limited. A report by the NITI Aayog stated that around 2 lakh people die in India every year due to inadequate water supply. It is common perception that only dry states like Rajasthan face water problems but the myth is broken by the recent ground water crises in cities of Chennai and Delhi.
Surprisingly lack of availability of water is also supplemented with the quality of availability of water which is a major source of many water prone diseases in India. Effective measures have to be taken by both state and central governments to ensure water security to its citizens and problems should be resolved in a time bound manner.
(i) “Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink?” Comment
Ans. Though 3/4th Earth’s surface is covered with water and it is a natural resource most of the water is present in oceans which cannot be consumed by human beings directly. Furthermore, the rate of water consumption exceeds the rate of replenishment, leading to a severe water scarcity problem, especially in India.
(ii) Give reasons why rainfall rich states also face water scarcity problems?
Ans. Rainfall-rich states face water scarcity due to:
Over-exploitation of groundwater: Excessive pumping for irrigation and commercial use depletes water resources.
Overpopulation: Rapid population growth increases demand for water.
Changing lifestyles: Higher water consumption and wastage in both urban and rural areas worsen the situation.
Section-F [Map-Based Question]
24. Locate and label the following items on the given map with appropriate symbols.
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Tehri Dam
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Bhakra Nangal Dam
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Rana Pratap Sagar Dam
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Salal Dam
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