Geography : Chapter 3 : Water Resources
1. What is Water Scarcity ? āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻāĻžā§ą āĻŦā§āϞāĻŋāϞ⧠āĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: Lack of sufficient water to meet the needs of people is called water scarcity. āĻŽāĻžāύā§āĻšā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āϝāĻŧā§āĻāύ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻŖ āĻā§°āĻŋāĻŦāϞ⧠āĻĒā§°ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒā§āϤ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āύāĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŋāϞ⧠āϤāĻžāĻ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻāĻžā§ą āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
2. What are the causes of water scarcity ? āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻāĻžā§ąā§° āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖāϏāĻŽā§āĻš āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰:
- Overpopulation : āĻ āϧāĻŋāĻ āĻāύāϏāĻāĻā§āϝāĻž
- Overuse of water in agriculture and industry : āĻā§āώāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§ āĻāĻĻā§āϝā§āĻāϤ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āϤāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°
- Unequal distribution of rainfall : āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻ āϏāĻŽ āĻŦāĻŋāϤ⧰āĻŖ
- Pollution of water : āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĻā§āώāĻŖ
3. List the advantages and disadvantages of dams. : āĻŦāĻžāύā§āϧ⧰ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž āĻā§°ā§ āĻ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻžāϏāĻŽā§āĻš āϞāĻŋāĻāĻžāĨ¤
Advantages of Dams (āĻŦāĻžāύā§āϧ⧰ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž)
- Controls floods : āĻŦāĻžāύāĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧāύā§āϤā§ā§°āĻŖ āĻā§°ā§
- Provides irrigation : āϏā§āĻ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĻāĻžāύ āĻā§°ā§
- Generates hydroelectricity : āĻāϞāĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āϝā§ā§ āĻā§āĻĒāĻžāĻĻāύ āĻā§°ā§
Disadvantages of Dams (āĻŦāĻžāύā§āϧ⧰ āĻ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž)
- Displacement of people : āϞā§āĻ āϏā§āĻĨāĻžāύāĻžāύā§āϤ⧰āĻŋāϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ
- Affects ecosystem and wildlife : āĻĒā§°āĻŋā§ąā§āĻļ āĻā§°ā§ āĻŦāύā§āϝāĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻŖā§ā§° āĻā§āώāϤāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§
- Causes sedimentation : āĻĒāϞāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ
4. What is Rainwater Harvesting ? āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰: Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting and storing rainwater for future use. āĻā§ąāĻŋāώā§āϝ⧠āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš āĻā§°ā§ āϏāĻā§°āĻā§āώāĻŖ āĻā§°āĻžāĻ āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Types / āĻĒā§ā§°āĻāĻžā§°:
- Rooftop rainwater harvesting : āĻāĻžāĻĻā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš
- Surface runoff harvesting : āĻĒā§āώā§āĻ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻŦāĻžāĻšā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš
- Traditional methods: Tankas, Johads : āĻĒā§°āĻŽā§āĻĒā§°āĻžāĻāϤ āĻĒāĻĻā§āϧāϤāĻŋ: āĻāĻžāĻāĻāĻž, āĻā§āĻšāĻžāĻĄāĻŧ
5. Name the methods to conserve water. :āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻā§°āĻā§āώāĻŖā§° āĻāĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧāϏāĻŽā§āĻš āϞāĻŋāĻāĻžāĨ¤
Ans / āĻāϤā§āϤ⧰:
- Reduce wastage of water : āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻĒāĻāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŽā§ā§ąāĻž
- Reuse water : āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āĻĒā§āύ⧰ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°
- Harvest rainwater : āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš
- Protect water bodies (rivers, lakes, ponds) : āύāĻĻā§, āĻšā§ā§°āĻĻ, āĻĒā§āĻā§ā§°ā§ āϏāĻā§°āĻā§āώāĻŖ
A. Chapter 3 MCQs
1. Water scarcity means - āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ
āĻāĻžā§ą āĻŦā§āϞāĻŋāϞ⧠āĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
(a) Excess of water | (b) Pollution of water | (c) Lack of sufficient water | (d) Flow of rivers
Ans: (c) Lack of sufficient water
Note: Water scarcity occurs when water is insufficient to meet needs. āĻŽāĻžāύā§āĻšā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āϝāĻŧā§āĻāύ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻŖ āĻā§°āĻŋāĻŦāϞ⧠āĻĒā§°ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒā§āϤ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āύāĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŋāϞ⧠āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ
āĻāĻžā§ą āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
2. Which of the following is a cause of water scarcity ? āϤāϞ⧰ āĻā§āύāĻā§ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ
āĻāĻžā§ąā§° āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ ?
(a) Afforestation | (b) Overpopulation | (c) Rainwater harvesting | (d) Water recycling
Ans: (b) Overpopulation
Note: Increasing population increases water demand. āĻ
āϧāĻŋāĻ āĻāύāϏāĻāĻā§āϝāĻžāĻ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻāĻžāĻšāĻŋāĻĻāĻž āĻŦā§āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
3. Which sector uses maximum water in India ? āĻāĻžā§°āϤāϤ āĻā§āύ āĻāĻŖā§āĻĄāϤ āϏ⧰ā§āĻŦāĻžāϧāĻŋāĻ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
(a) Domestic | (b) Industry | (c) Agriculture | (d) Transport
Ans: (c) Agriculture
Note: Agriculture consumes most of the freshwater. āĻā§āώāĻŋ āĻāĻŖā§āĻĄāϤ āϏ⧰ā§āĻŦāĻžāϧāĻŋāĻ āĻŽāĻŋāĻ āĻž āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
4. Which is NOT an advantage of dams ? āϤāϞ⧰ āĻā§āύāĻā§ āĻŦāĻžāύā§āϧ⧰ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž āύāĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
(a) Flood control | (b) Irrigation | (c) Displacement of people | (d) Hydroelectricity
Ans: (c) Displacement of people
Note: Displacement is a disadvantage. āϞā§āĻ āϏā§āĻĨāĻžāύāĻžāύā§āϤ⧰ āĻ
āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻžāĨ¤
5. Rooftop rainwater harvesting means - āĻāĻžāĻĻā§° āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš āĻŽāĻžāύ⧠āĻāĻŋ ?
(a) Storing river water | (b) Collecting rainwater from roofs | (c) Canal irrigation | (d) Groundwater pumping
Ans: (b) Collecting rainwater from roofs
Note: Rainwater collected from rooftops. āĻāĻžāĻĻā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻšāĨ¤
6. Johads and Tankas are - āĻā§āĻšāĻžāĻĄāĻŧ āĻā§°ā§ āĻāĻžāĻāĻāĻž āĻāĻŋ ?
(a) Modern dams | (b) Rivers | (c) Traditional water harvesting methods | (d) Canals
Ans: (c) Traditional water harvesting methods
Note: Used traditionally to store rainwater. āĻĒā§°āĻŽā§āĻĒā§°āĻžāĻāϤ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻā§°āĻā§āώāĻŖ āĻĒāĻĻā§āϧāϤāĻŋāĨ¤
B. Short Answer Questions (2 / 3 Marks)
1. What is water scarcity ? āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻāĻžā§ą āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans: Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient water to meet people’s needs. āĻŽāĻžāύā§āĻšā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āϝāĻŧā§āĻāύ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻŖ āĻā§°āĻŋāĻŦāϞ⧠āĻĒā§°ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒā§āϤ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āύāĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŋāϞā§āĻ āϤāĻžāĻ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻāĻžā§ą āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
2. Mention any two causes of water scarcity. āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻāĻžā§ąā§° āϝāĻŋāĻā§āύ⧠āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āϞāĻŋāĻāĻžāĨ¤
Ans: Overpopulation, Overuse of water in agriculture. āĻ āϧāĻŋāĻ āĻāύāϏāĻāĻā§āϝāĻž, āĻā§āώāĻŋāϤ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āϤāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°
3. What is rainwater harvesting ? āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans: It is the method of collecting and storing rainwater for future use. āĻā§ąāĻŋāώā§āϝ⧠āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš āĻā§°ā§ āϏāĻā§°āĻā§āώāĻŖ āĻā§°āĻžāĻ āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
4. Write any two advantages of dams. āĻŦāĻžāύā§āϧ⧰ āϝāĻŋāĻā§āύ⧠āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž āϞāĻŋāĻāĻžāĨ¤
Ans: Flood control, Irrigation facility: āĻŦāĻžāύāĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧāύā§āϤā§ā§°āĻŖ, āϏā§āĻ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž
C. Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)
1. Explain the causes of water scarcity in India. āĻāĻžā§°āϤāϤ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻāĻžā§ąā§° āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖāϏāĻŽā§āĻš āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž āĻā§°āĻžāĨ¤
Ans: The main causes of water scarcity in India are : āĻāĻžā§°āϤāϤ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻāĻžā§ąā§° āĻŽā§āĻā§āϝ āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖāϏāĻŽā§āĻš āĻšā§āĻā§ -
- Overpopulation : āĻ āϧāĻŋāĻ āĻāύāϏāĻāĻā§āϝāĻž
- Excessive use of water in agriculture and industries : āĻā§āώāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§ āĻāĻĻā§āϝā§āĻāϤ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āϤāĻŋāĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°
- Unequal distribution of rainfall : āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻ āϏāĻŽ āĻŦāĻŋāϤ⧰āĻŖ
- Pollution of water sources : āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻā§āϏ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĻā§āώāĻŖ
2. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of dams.āĻŦāĻžāύā§āϧ⧰ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž āĻā§°ā§ āĻ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻžāϏāĻŽā§āĻš āĻŦā§°ā§āĻŖāύāĻž āĻā§°āĻžāĨ¤
Ans:
Advantages:
- Control floods : āĻŦāĻžāύāĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧāύā§āϤā§ā§°āĻŖ
- Provide irrigation : āϏā§āĻ āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž
- Generate hydroelectric power : āĻāϞāĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āϝā§ā§ āĻā§āĻĒāĻžāĻĻāύ
Disadvantages:
- Displacement of people : āϞā§āĻ āϏā§āĻĨāĻžāύāĻžāύā§āϤ⧰
- Damage to ecosystem and wildlife : āĻĒā§°āĻŋā§ąā§āĻļ āĻā§°ā§ āĻŦāύā§āϝāĻĒā§ā§°āĻžāĻŖā§ā§° āĻā§āώāϤāĻŋ
- Sedimentation in reservoirs : āĻĒāϞāĻŋ āĻāĻŽāĻž āĻšā§ā§ąāĻž
3. Explain methods of water conservation. āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻā§°āĻā§āώāĻŖā§° āĻāĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧāϏāĻŽā§āĻš āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž āĻā§°āĻžāĨ¤
Ans:
- Rainwater harvesting : āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš
- Reducing wastage of water : āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻĒāĻāϝāĻŧ āĻāĻŽā§ā§ąāĻž
- Reusing water : āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āĻĒā§āύ⧰ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°
- Protecting water bodies : āύāĻĻā§, āĻšā§ā§°āĻĻ, āĻĒā§āĻā§ā§°ā§ āϏāĻā§°āĻā§āώāĻŖ
D. Case-Study Based Questions
Case Study 1
A city faces severe water shortage due to increasing population, overuse of groundwater, and polluted rivers.
Questions:
- Identify two causes of water scarcity from the case.
- Suggest one method to conserve water.
Ans:
- Overpopulation, Pollution of water : āĻ āϧāĻŋāĻ āĻāύāϏāĻāĻā§āϝāĻž, āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĻā§āώāĻŖ
- Rainwater harvesting : āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš
Case Study 2
A village collects rainwater from rooftops and stores it in underground tanks for use during dry seasons.
Questions:
- Name the method used.
- Write one benefit of this method.
Ans:
- Rooftop rainwater harvesting : āĻāĻžāĻĻā§° āĻŦā§°āώā§āĻŖā§° āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āϏāĻāĻā§ā§°āĻš
- Provides water during scarcity : āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻ āĻāĻžā§ąā§° āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧāϤ āϏāĻšāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻā§°ā§