WATER RESOURCES

SOLVED EXAMPLES

Example 1: What is hydrological cycle?
Solution: Continuous circulation of water between hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere, in which water changes its physical state is called hydrological cycle.

Example 2: Name the largest artificial lake built in the 11th century.
Solution: Bhopal lake.

Example 3: What is hectare meter?
Solution: The total volume of water standing in a depth of one meter over a level area of one hectare of land. It is used as a unit to measure water reserves.

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Example 4: Define inundation canals?
Solution: Those canals which are active in rainy season to transfer the surplus water to deficient areas.

Example 5: What are irrigation canals or peremial canal?
Solution: Those canals which draw water from a water body like rivers and supply the same for irrigation in the fields.

Example 6: How can we define perrinial river?
Solution: Those rivers which have water supply throught the year.

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Example 7: What is the difference between the surface water and ground water?
Solution: Surface water means the water which is available on the surface of the earth like pounds, lakes, rivers, tanks etc. Ground water is the water present in the subsoil. It is entracted by digging well and tube wells.

Example 8: Name two rainwater harvesting structures built in Rajasthan.
Solution: Khadians and Johads.

Example 9: Which state of India is considered to be the driest due to poor precipitation.
Solution: Rajasthan

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Example 10: What is irrigation?
Solution: Artificial means of supplying water to farm lands in the form of canals, wells, tube wells and tanks is called irrigation.

Example 11: What do the people in Rajasthan do to beat the summer heat?
Solution: They have built underground rooms adjoining the tanks. The tanks keep the room cool.

Example 12: Name the village in Karnataka which has earned a rare distinction of being rich in rainwater.
Solution: Gendathur

Example 13: Why has bamboo drip irrigation system been installed in Meghalaya?
Solution: It has been installed to tap spring and stream water by using bamboo pipes

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ASSIGNMENT – 1  (NCERT QUESTIONS)

Q.1 Explain how water becomes a renewable resource.
Ans. All of our drinking water comes from two sources–groundwater (underground aquifers) and surface water (lakes, rivers, streams). These sources get renewed through the water cycle. That is how water keeps moving between atmosphere and the earth. This is termed as hydrological cycle. The circulation and conservation of earth’s water is called the “hydrologic cycle”.

Q.2 What is water scarcity and what are its main causes?
Ans. Water scarcity or water stress occurs when water availability is not enough to match the demand for water. It is caused by an increase in population and consequent greater demand for water and unequal access to it.Acountry with a high industrial demand or which depends on large scale irrigation will
therefore be more likely to experience times of scarcity than a country without such demands.

Q.3 Compare the advantages and disadvantages of multi-purpose river projects.
Ans. Advantages of multi-purpose river projects. They not only help in irrigation but also in electricity generation, water supply for domestic and industrial uses, flood control, recreation, inland navigation and fish breeding. For example, the Hirakud project in the Mahanadi basin integrates conservation of
water with flood control.
Disadvantages. Regulating and damming of rivers affect their natural flow causing poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir, resulting in rockier stream beds and poorer habitats for the rivers’ aquatic life. Dams also fragment rivers making it difficult for aquatic fauna to
migrate, especially for spawning. Reservoir screated on the flood plains also submerge the existing vegetation and soil leading to its decomposition over a period of time.

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Q.4 Discuss how rainwater harvesting in semiarid regions of Rajasthan is carried out.
Ans. Rooftop rainwater harvesting was commonly practised to store drinking water in Rajasthan. In arid and semi-arid regions, agricultural fields were converted into rainfed storage structures that allowed the water to stand and moisten the soil like the ‘khadins’ in Jaisalmer and ‘Johads’ in other part of Rajasthan. In the semi-arid and arid regions of Rajasthan, particularly in Bikaner, Phalodi and Barmer, almost all the houses traditionally have underground tankas or tanks for storing drinking water. The tanks could be as large as a big room and were built inside the main house or the courtyard. They were connected to the sloping roofs of the house through a pipe. Rain falling on the rooftops would travel down the pipe and was stored in these underground ‘tankas’.
In western Rajasthan, the practice of rooftop rainwater harvesting is on decline because of the perennial Rajasthan canal.This canal provides plenty of water. Despite this, some houses still maintain the tanks since they do no like the taste of tap water.

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Q.5 Describe how modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting methods are being carried out to conserve and store water.
Ans. Traditional methods of rainwater harvesting being carried out to conserve and store water are:
1. Roof top rainwater Cherapunjee and Mawsynram situated at a distance of 55km from Shilong receive the highest rainfall in the world, yet the state capital Shillong faces acute shortage of water. Nearly every household in the city has a rooftop rainwater harvesting structure.
2. Tamil Nadu is the first and the only state in India which has made rooftop rainwater harvesting structure compulsory to all the houses across the state. There legal provisions to punish the defaulters.
3. In many parts of rural and urban India, rooftop rainwater harvesting is being successfully adopted to store and conserve water. In Gendathur, a remote backward village in Mysore. Karnataka, villagers have installed in their household’s rooftop, rainwater harvesting system to meet their water needs. Nearly 200 households have installed this system and the village has earned the rare dinstinction of being rich in rainwater.

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ASSIGNMENT – 2  (SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS)

Q.1 On what different bases are dams classified?
Ans. Dams are classified according to structure, intended purpose or height.
1. Based on structure and the materials used, dams are classified as timber dams, embankment dams or masonry dams, with several subtypes.
2. As per the height, dams can be classified as large dams and major dams or alternatively as low dams, medium height dams and high dams.

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Q.2 What are the major causes of deterioration of water quality or water pollution in India?
Ans. The quality of the surface water and ground water decreases due to:
1. Foreign matters such as micro-organisms, chemicals, industrial and other wastes.
2. Discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater from cities and towns without treatment in rivers and lakes.
3. Excessive use of fertilisers, insecticides, and pesticides in agricultural fields.
4. Seepage of these pollutants underground.

Q.3 What can be the effects of over-exploitation and excessive use of water resources?
Ans. Over-utilisation and mismanagement of water resources may cause:
(i) Serious health hazards
(ii) Shortage of availability of food which may adversely affect food securityin the country.
(iii) Our livelihoods and productive activities may be affected.
(iv) Degradation of our natural ecosystems.
(v) Depletion of water resources.

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Q.4 What is the need of rainwater harvesting?
Ans. Rainwater harvesting is carried out to conserve and store water. This method reduces water scarcity. In various regions of India rainwater harvesting system is being adopted to meet the ever-growing water needs. Realising its importance the Tamil Nadu government has made rooftop rainwater harvesting structure compulsory to all houses across the state.

Q.5 Why are dams now referred to as multi-purpose projects?
Ans. A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. Earlier dams were built to impound rivers and rainwater that could be used later to irrigate agricultural fields. But today, dams are built not just for irrigation but for electricity
generation, water supply for domestic and industrial uses, flood control, recreation, inland navigation and fish breeding. Therefore, dams are now referred to as multi-purpose projects.A multipurpose project is a large scale hydro project often including dams for water retention, canals for irrigation, water processing and pipe lines to supply water to cities and power generation.

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Q.6 Why did Jawaharlal Nehru proclaim the dams as the ‘temples of modern India’?
Ans. It was said so by Jawaharlal Nehru because multi-purpose projects (dams) accelerated the growth of agriculture, industrialisation and urban economy. Other advantages of constructing dams / multipurpose projects are
(i) They eliminateor reduce flooding.
(ii) Provide water for agriculture.
(iii) Provide water for human and industrial consumption.

(iv) Help to prevent flooding.
(v) Provide lake fisheries.
(vi) Provide electric power or cooling for nuclear power plants.
(vii) Improve transportation

Q.7 Write a short note Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement.
Ans. Narmada BachaoAndolan or Save Narmada Movement is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that activated tribal people, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists to fight against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across the Naramada river in Gujarat. This was initiated to save trees from getting destroyed due to building of dam and toget full rehabilitation facilities from the government
for the displaced people.

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Q.8 Mention some major causes of water scarcity.
Ans. Water Scarcity or water stress occurs when water availability is not enough to match the demand for water. It is caused byan increase in population and consequent greater demands for water and unequal access to it. A country with a high industrial demand or which depends on largescale irrigation will therefore be more likely to experience times of scarcity than a country without such demands. Some of the major causes of water scarcity:
1. Overexploitation. Most of the houses and farms have their own private groundwater pumping devices which allows them easy access to consume water at their wall. This eventually leads to over exploistation of water resources, thus leading to depletion of underground water reservoir. Water is not only used for domestic purposes but also to produce more food. To increases foodgrain production, water resources are being over exploited to expand irrigated areas and dry-season agriculture.
2. Deteriorating Quality. Pollution by domestic and industrial waste is harming the quality of clean water. As a result even areas with abundant water are facing acute shortage of water. Water is polluted by domestic and industrial wastes, chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers used in agriculture, thus making it unsafe for human use.

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3. Adverse Effect of Economic Development. Increased business activity is further putting pressure on scarce water resources. Many industries are exploiting water resources to the maximum.
   4. Hydroelectric power. 22% of total electricity produced in India is through hydroelectric power. This creates additional pressure on water resources.
   5. River Pollution. India’s rivers have got polluted to such an extent that they have turned into toxic streams. It’s all due to population growth, agricultural modernsation, urbanisation and industrialisation.
   6. Unequal distribution and availability of water resources.The distribution and availability of water resources is unequal in space and time, mainly due to the variations in seasonal and annual precipitation.

Q.9 Why is the construction of multi-purpose projects and large dams opposed by many people?
Ans. In recent years, multi-purpose projects and large dams have come under great scrutiny and opposition for a variety of reasons:
1. Regulating and damming of rivers affect their natural flow causing poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir, resulting in rockier stream bead sand poorer habitats for the river’ aquatic life. Dams also fragment rivers making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning.

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2. Irrigation has also changed the cropping pattern of many regions with farmers shifting to water intensive and commercial crops. This has great ecological consequences like salinisation of the soil.
   3. The reservoirs that are created on the floodplains also submerge the existing vegetation and soil leading to its decomposition over a period of time.
   4. Resistance to multi-purpose projects and large dams has been primarily due to the large-scale displacement of local communities. Local people often have to give up their land, livelihood and control over resources for the greater good of the nation.
   5. The landowners and big farmers industrialists and few urban centres are benefited out of this.
   6. It has transformed the social landscape,i.e.increasing the social gap between the richer landowners and the landless poor.
   7. Dams create conflicts among the people. For instance in Gujarat, the Sabarmati-basin farmers were agitated and almost caused a riot, over the higher priority given to water supply in urban areas, particularly during droughts.
   8. Inter-state water disputes are also becoming common with regard to sharing the costs and benefits of the multi-purpose project.

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Q.10 ‘Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water but there is still scarcity of water across the globe.’ Explain giving three reasons.
Ans. Water scarcityis due to the following reasons.
(a) Water availability varies over space and time mainly due to variation in seasonal and annual precipitation.
(b) Rapid urbanization is another factor for water scarcity.
(c) Rapid increase in population that demand more and more water.
(d) Industrialization is another cause. Large industrial houses are using more and more water. They also require inore water to generate electricity.
(e) Rising income levels also create more demand for water.
(f) 96.5 percent of the total volume of world’s water is estimated to exist as oceans and only 2.5 percent as fresh water. Nearly 70 per cent of this freshwater occurs as ice sheets and glaciers, while a little less than 30 percent is stored as groundwater in the world’s aquifers.

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Q.11 Mention a negative effect of irrigation. How can irrigation transform the social landscape?
Ans. Irrigation has changed the cropping pattern of manyregions with farmers shifting to cultivation of water intensive and commercial crops. This has great ecological consequences. It leads to waterlogging and consequent salinization of the soil. This is a negative effect of irrigation.As rich farmers have better access to irrigation they have earned more money due to the production of commercial crops. On the other hand, the landless poor who could not avail of its benifits have become poorer.Thus, irrigation has transformed the social landscape byincreasing the social gap between rich landowners and the landless poor farmers.

Q.12 Describe any three hydraulic structures of ancient India.
Ans. Three examples of hydraulic structures of ancient India are as under:
(a) Water harvesting system was built in the first century BCnear Allahahad for channelling the flood waters of the Ganga.
(b) During the times of Chandragupta Maurya, dams, lakes and irrigation systems were constructed.
(c) Bhopal Lake, one of the largest artificial lakes of that time, was built in the 11th century.

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ASSIGNMENT – 3  (OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS)

SECTION-A

1. I) Fill in the blanks
   The primary source of water on the earth is _________ that comes in the form of rain and snowfall.
   2. _______ are the main source of surface water.
   3. India receives 75% to 90% of its rainfall from the ________ monsoon.
   4. Nearly70% of the ________ occurs as ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland and the Mountain
   regions of the world.
   5. On the basis of __________ rivers are divided into himalayan and peninsular rivers.
   6. Areawise before 1951 only ________ million hectares of land was under irrigation.
   7. 1 metre of water standing on a hectare of levelled land is called ______________ .
   8. The state with highest area under irrigation is __________ .
   9. __________ is known as river of sorrow.
   10. A 200 year old system of tapping stream and spring water prevalent in Meghalaya is known as
   __________
   11. __________ project in Orissa in an example of multi-purpose project.
   12. In flood plains of West Bengal people developed __________ to irrigate their fields.
   13. Narmada BachaoAndolan is a movement created against __________.

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SECTION-B

1. II) Multiple choice question with one correct answers
   The minimum demand for water is for
   (A) Industries (B) Animal husbandry (C) Household Needs (D) Irrigation
2. Canal irrigation is most common in
   (A) Northern Plains (B) Peninsular regions
   (C) Eastern coastal plains (D) Western coastal plains
3. Rajasthan is the benificiary of
   (A) Narmada Valley project (B) Hirakud project
   (C) Nagarjunsagar project (D) Tehri project

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4. Who claimed multipurpose river valley projects ‘ new temples of modern India’.
   (A) Mahatma Gandhi (B) Sardar Patel (C) Jawaharlal Nehru (D) Indira Gandhi
5. Sunderlal Bahuguna is associated with
   (A) Narmada BachaoAndolan (B) Tehri DamAndolan
   (C) Caveri Water dispute (D) Linking of Rivers
6. The first multi-purpose project of India was
   (A) Sivasamudram (B) Damodar Valley (C) Hirakud (D) Rajasthan Canal

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7. Hirakud dam is located in which one of the following states?
   (A)Andhra Pradesh (B) West Bengal (C) Orissa (D)Tamil Nadu
8. What percentage of the global precipitation is received in India?
   (A) 2 percent (B) 5 percent (C) 4 percent (D) 10 percent
9. The total renewable water resources of India is estimated to be
   (A) 1900 sq.km/annum (B) 2895 sq.km/annum
   (C) 2000 sq.km/annum (D) 1897 sq.km/annum

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10. Water scarcity is a serious problem in recent years mainly in
    (A) Cities (B) Rural areas (C) Deserts (D) Mountains
11. Which of the following states has made roof top harvesting compulsory?
    (A) Karnataka (B) Kerala (C) Tamil Nadu (D) Maharashtra

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12. Which of the following Indian rivers are the most polluted?
    (A) Ganga andYamuna (B) Ganga and Indus
    (C) Godavari and Krishna (D) Kosi and Damodar
13. Which one of the following statements is incorrect as regards to opposition against multi purpose projects.
    (A) Regulating and damming of rivers affected the natural flow
    (B) It has caused interstate river water disputes
    (C) It has increased the social gap between the rich land owners and the landless poor
    (D) They are successful in meeting many objectives.

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14. On which of the following rivers is the Salal Project located?
    (A)Luni (B) Satluj (C)Jhelum (D) Chenab

SECTION-C

• Multiple choice question with one or more than one correct answers
  1. Based on structure and material used dams are classified as
  (A) Embankment (B)Timber (C) Multipurpose (D) Major

2. Most of the well and tubewell are found in
   (A) Jammu and Kashmir (B) Gujarat
   (C) Bihar (D)Tamil Nadu

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3. Area reciving low rainfall because of being situated in rain shadow area
   (A) Vidarbh – Marathwara (B) Western Rajasthan
   (C) Meghalaya (D) Chattisgarh
4. Availability of water for use in India is inadequate because
   (A) High evaporation rate (B) Rapid run off
   (C) Floods (D) Low precipitation
5. Sources of surface water
   (A) Rainfall (B) Snow melt (C)Tubewell (D)Transpiration

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SECTION – D

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