About This Section
This is a collection of important questions with complete model answers covering the whole of Chapter 3 — Water Resources. They are grouped by marks — 1-mark, 3-mark and 5-mark — for thorough Board preparation.
1-Mark Questions
Q1. Through which cycle is water renewed? Ans. The hydrological (water) cycle.
Q2. Which is the largest consumer of water? Ans. Irrigated agriculture.
Q3. Who called dams the 'temples of modern India'? Ans. Jawaharlal Nehru.
Q4. Which is the first state to make rooftop rainwater harvesting compulsory? Ans. Tamil Nadu.
1-Mark Questions (continued)
Q5. Name the underground tanks used to store drinking water in Rajasthan. Ans. Tankas.
Q6. What is 'palar pani'? Ans. Rainwater stored in tankas, considered the purest form of natural water.
Q7. On which river is the Sardar Sarovar Dam built? Ans. The Narmada river.
Q8. Where is the 200-year-old bamboo drip irrigation system found? Ans. Meghalaya.
3-Mark Questions
Q9. Explain any three causes of water scarcity. Ans. (1) A large and growing population needs more water for domestic use and food production. (2) Irrigated agriculture, the largest consumer of water, over-draws groundwater through wells and tube-wells, lowering the water table. (3) Intensive industrialisation and urbanisation exert great pressure on freshwater resources, with industries and housing colonies over-exploiting groundwater.
3-Mark Questions (continued)
Q10. How can water scarcity occur even in areas of sufficient water? Ans. Even where water is sufficient in quantity, scarcity can occur if the water is of bad quality — polluted by domestic sewage, industrial effluents and agricultural run-off — making it unfit for use. Unequal access among different social groups also creates scarcity, so conservation is needed everywhere.
Q11. State three problems caused by large dams. Ans. (1) Excessive sedimentation in reservoirs, harming aquatic habitats and reducing storage. (2) Dam-triggered floods and soil erosion during heavy rainfall. (3) Displacement of large numbers of people and loss of their livelihood and environment.
5-Mark Questions
Q12. What are multi-purpose river projects? Explain their main uses. Ans. A multi-purpose river project is a dam built to serve several integrated purposes at once. Its main uses are: irrigation (through canals), electricity (hydel power) generation, water supply for domestic and industrial use, flood control, inland navigation, fish breeding, and recreation. Examples include Bhakra-Nangal (Sutlej-Beas) and Hirakud (Mahanadi).
5-Mark Questions (continued)
Q13. Describe the traditional and modern methods of rainwater harvesting in India. Ans. Traditional methods: guls and kuls (Western Himalayas); khadins (Jaisalmer) and johads (Rajasthan); inundation channels (Bengal); and rooftop rainwater harvesting into tankas storing 'palar pani' in Rajasthan. Modern methods: Tamil Nadu made rooftop rainwater harvesting compulsory; Shillong and Gendathur (Karnataka) practise rooftop harvesting; and Meghalaya's bamboo drip irrigation taps stream and spring water through bamboo pipes.
Q14. Why have multi-purpose projects faced opposition? Ans. They disturb the river's natural flow, cause sedimentation and harm aquatic life; they have triggered floods and caused soil erosion and land degradation; they induce earthquakes and water-borne diseases; and above all they displace large numbers of people. Movements like the Narmada Bachao Andolan and inter-state disputes (Krishna-Godavari) reflect this opposition.