AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SEC.

46 GURUGRAM
CLASS X
CH-3 WATER RESOURCES

Q1. “The availability of water resources varies over space and time” Explain the statement.
Ans. The availability of water resources varies over space and time, mainly due to the variations in seasonal and
annual precipitation, but water scarcity in most cases is caused by over-exploitation,excessive use and unequal access to water
among different social groups.
Q2. Explain how water becomes a renewable resource.
Ans. Three-fourth of the earth’s surface is Covered with water.
 But only a small proportion of it accounts for freshwater that can be put to use.
 This freshwater is mainly obtained from surface run off and ground water.
 That is continually being renewed and recharged through the hydrological cycle.
 All water moves within the hydrological cycle.
Q3. What are the main causes of water scarcity?
 Large and growing population
 Higher food-grain production
 Industrialisation
 Urbanization
 Wells and tube-wells
Q4. What are the major causes of deterioration of water quality or water pollution in India?
 Water scarcity in a region not because of water availability .
 Caused due to the bad quality of water.
 Water bodies are being polluted by domestic and industrial wastes, chemicals, Pesticides and fertilisers used in
agriculture.
 Thus, making it hazardous for human use.
Q5. What can be the effects of over-exploitation and excessive use of water resources?
Ans. Ans. It was also observed that the multi-purpose projects induced earthquakes, caused water-borne diseases and
pests and pollution resulting from excessive use of water.
Q6. Give examples of sophisticated hydraulic structures from ancient times.
Ans. Hydraulic Structures in Ancient India –
 In the first century B.C., Sringaverapura near Allahabad had sophisticated water harvesting system channelling the flood
water of the river Ganga.
 During the time of Chandragupta Maurya, dams, lakes and irrigation systems were extensively built.
 Evidences of sophisticated irrigation works have also been found in Kalinga, (Odisha), Nagarjunakonda (Andhra
 Pradesh), Bennur (Karnataka), Kolhapur (Maharashtra), etc.
 In the 11th Century, Bhopal Lake, one of the largest artificial lakes of its time was built.
 In the 14th Century, the tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi was constructed by Iltutmish for supplying water to Siri Fort area.
Q7. What are the advantages of multi-purpose projects?
Ans. Today, dams are built not just for
1.Irrigation
2. Electricity generation,
3.Water supply for domestic and industrial uses,
4. Flood control,
5.Rrecreation,
6.Inland navigation and
7.Fish breeding.
Hence,dams are now referred to as multi-purpose projects where the many uses of the impounded water are integrated
with one another. For example, in the Sutluj-Beas river basin, the Bhakra – Nangal project water is being used both for
hydel power production and irrigation. Similarly, the Hirakud project in the Mahanadi basin integrates conservation of
water with flood control.
Q8. Why did Jawaharlal Nehru proclaim the dams as the ‘temples of modern India’?
Ans. Jawaharlal Nehru proudly proclaimed the dams as the ‘temples of modern India’; the reason being that it
would integrate development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialisation and growth of
the urban economy.
Q9. Define the term Dams. On what basis the dams are classified?
 Ans. A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or
impoundment. “Dam” refers to the reservoir rather than the structure. Most dams have a section called a spillway or weir over
which or through which it is intended that water will flow either intermittently or continuously.
Dams are classified on the basis of
1.structure:- Based on structure and the materials used, dams are classified as
A. Timber dams,
B. Embankment dams
C. Masonry dams, with several subtypes
2. Intended purpose
A. Single purpose Dam
B. Multi purpose dam
3.Height:- According to the height, dams can be categorised as
A. Large dams
B. Major dams
4. Alternatively
A. low dams
B. Medium height dams
C. High dams.
Q10. Write the disadvantages of Dams.
Or
Why is the construction of multi-purpose projects and large dams opposed by many people?
Or
“In recent years, the multi-purpose projects and large dams have come under great scrutiny.” Give reasons.
Ans. I. Impact on the Rivers & aquatic life
Regulating and damming of rivers affect their natural flow.It causes poor sediment flow and excessive
sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir.It results in rockier streambeds and poorer habitats for the rivers’
aquatic life.Dams also fragment rivers making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning.
The reservoirs that are created on the floodplains also submerge the existing vegetation and soil leading to
its decomposition over a period of time.
II.Environmentalmovements
The ‘Narmada BachaoAndolan’ and the ‘TehriDam 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 meagreaccess and control over resources for the greater good of the nation.

III. Social Impacts of dams

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 salinisationof the soil.
At the same time, it has transformed the social landscape i.e. increasing the social gap between the richer
landowners and the landless poor.The dams has created conflicts between people wanting different uses and
benefits from the same water resources.
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.
Inter-state water disputes are also becoming common with regard to sharing the costs and benefits of the multi-
purpose project.
IV. Cause of environmental & natural disaster
The dams that were constructed to control floods have triggered floods due to sedimentation in the reservoir.
The big dams have mostly been unsuccessful in controlling floods at the time of excessive rainfall.
The release of water from dams during heavy rains aggravated the flood situation in Maharashtra and Gujarat in
2006.
The floods have not only devastated life and property but also caused extensive soil erosion.
Sedimentation also meant that the flood plains were deprived of silt, a natural fertiliser, causing land degradation.
The multi-purpose projects induced earthquakes, caused water-borne diseases and pests and pollution resulting
from excessive use of water.
Q11.What is the need of rainwater harvesting?
Or
‘Need of the hour is to conserve and manage our water resources’ Explain
Ans. The need of the hour is to conserve and manage our water resources, to safeguard ourselves from health hazards, to
ensure food security,continuation of our livelihoods and productive activities and also to prevent
degradation of our natural ecosystems. Over exploitation and mismanagement of water resources will impoverish this
resource and cause ecological crisis that may have profound impact on our lives.

Q12. Discuss how rainwater harvesting in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan is carried out.

Ans: In the semi-arid and arid regions of Rajasthan, particularly in Bikaner, Phalodiand Barmer, almost all the houses
traditionally had underground tanks or tankas for storing drinking water.
•The tankas were part of the well-developed rooftop rainwater harvesting system and were built inside the main house or
the courtyard.
•They were connected to the sloping roofs of the houses through a pipe.
•Rain falling on the rooftops would travel down the pipe and was stored in these underground ‘tankas’.
•The first spell of rain was usually not collected as this would clean the roofs and the pipes.
•The rainwater from the subsequent showers was then collected.
•The rainwater can be stored in the tankas till the next rainfall making it an extremely reliable source of drinking water
when all other sources are dried up.
•Rainwater, or palarpani, as commonly referred to in these parts, is considered the purest form of natural water.

Q13. Why different water harvesting systems are considered a viable alternative both socio-economically
and environmentally in a country like India?
Q14. Write a short note on Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement.
Ans. Narmada Bachao Andolan or Save Narmada Movement is a Non Governmental people, farmers, environmentalists
and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across the Narmada river in Gujarat. It originally
focused on the environmental issues related to trees that would be submerged under the dam water. Recently it has re-
focused the aim to enable poor citizens, especially the oustees (displaced people) to get full rehabilitation facilities from
the government.
Sardar Sarovar Dam has been built over the Narmada River in Gujarat. This is one of the largest water resource projects of
India covering four states—Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Q15. Describe how modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting methods are being carried out to
conserve and store water.
Or
Describe any five measures adopted for conservation of water resources.
Ans:In many parts of rural and urban India, rooftop rainwater harvesting is being successfully adapted to store and
conserve water.
 In Gendathur, a remote backward village in Mysuru, Karnataka, villagers have installed, in their household’s
rooftop, rainwater harvesting system to meet their water needs.
 Rooftop rainwater harvesting is the most common practice in Shillong, Meghalaya.
 Tamil Nadu is the first state in India which has made rooftop rainwater harvesting structure compulsory to all the
houses across the state. There are legal provisions to punish the defaulters.

Q16. Give examples from ancient India, of an extraordinary tradition of water-harvesting system.
Or
Describe the techniques to harvest rainwater, groundwater, river water and flood water in keeping with the
local ecological conditions and the water needs.

Ans. People had in-depth knowledge of rainfall regimes and soil types and developed wide ranging techniques
to harvest rainwater, groundwater, river water and flood water.
 In hill and mountainous regions, people built diversion channels like the ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’ of the Western Himalayas
for agriculture.
 ‘Rooftop rainwater harvesting’ was commonly practisedto store drinking water, particularly in Rajasthan.
 In the flood plains of Bengal, people developed inundation channels to irrigate their fields.
 In arid and semi-arid regions, agricultural fields were converted into rain fed storage structures that allowed the
water to stand and moisten the soil like the ‘khadins’ in Jaisalmer and ‘Johads’ in other parts of Rajasthan.
 Bamboo drip irrigation system-Bamboo pipes are used to divert perennial springs on the hilltops to the lower
reaches by gravity.