WATER RESOURCES
CLASS-X
GEOGRAPHY CH. -3
1.What is a dam ?
Answer:
A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a
reservoir, lake or impoundment.
2.How dams are classified on the basis of structure and the material used ?
Answer:
Based on structure and the material used, dams are classified as timber dams, embankment dams or
masonry dams with several subtypes.
3.What did Nehru say about dams and why ?
Answer:
Jawaharlal Nehru proudly proclaimed the dams as the ‘temples of modern India’ because the dams
would integrate development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialisation and
growth of the urban economy.
4.Where is the Hirakud Project and what is its advantage ?
Answer:
The Hirakud Project is in the Mahanadi basin. It integrates conservation of water with flood control.
5.Which are the two social movements that have been started against multi-purpose projects ?
Answer:
Narmada BachaoAndolan.
Tehri Dam Andolan.
6. Explain three causes of water scarcity
The statement means that there are various reasons for the scarcity of water as mentioned
below :
Over-exploitation
Excessive use
Unequal access of water among different social groups.
7.Why is it important to conserve and manage our water resources ? Give any three reasons.
Answer:
It is necessary to conserve and manage our water resources due to the following reasons :
(a) To safeguard ourselves from health hazards : Polluted water is not good for health. It may
cause various kinds of water borne diseases. Water polluted by domestic and industrial
wastes, chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers makes it hazardous for human use.
(b) To ensure food security : Sufficient water is required for growing crops to meet the food
requirement in the country. Shortage of water may lead to condition of drought and failure of
crops.
(c) To prevent degradation of our natural ecosystems : Over exploitation and mismanage¬ment
of water resources will impoverish this resource and cause ecological crisis that may have
profound impact on our lives.
(d) We cannot imagine a life without water. Thus it is very necessary to conserve and manage our
water without which there can be no life on earth.
8.Name any two multipurpose projects of India. State four objectives of multipurpose projects.
Answer:
(1)Bhakra-Nangal Project in the Satluj-Beas river basin.
Hirakud Project in the Mahanadi basin.
(2) Four objectives of multipurpose projects are as given below :
Electricity generation
Irrigation
Flood control
Inland navigation
Fish breeding.
9. What is rainwater harvesting ? How was it used in ancient times ?
Rainwater harvesting is a technique of increasing the recharge of groundwater by capturing and
storing rainwater by constructing structures, such as dugwells, percolation pits, checkdams.
Ancient Times :
In ancient India, along with the sophisticated hydraulic structures, there existed an extraordinary
tradition of water-harvesting system.
People had in-depth knowledge of rainfall regimes and soil types.
They had developed wide ranging techniques to harvest rainwater, groundwater, river water and
flood water in keeping with the local ecological conditions and their water needs.
In hilly and mountainous regions, people built diversion channels like the ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’ of the
western Himalayas for agriculture. Rooftop rainwater harvesting wras commonly practised to store
drinking water.
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.
In Bikaner, Phalodi and Barmer, almost all the houses had underground tanks for storing drinking
water.
10.What is Bamboo Drip Irrigation system ?
Answer:
In Meghalaya, a 200-year-old system of tapping stream and spring water by using bamboo pipes is
prevalent. About 10-20 litres of water enters the bamboo pipe system, gets transported over
hundreds of meters, and finally reduced to 20-80 drops per minute at the site of the plant. Bamboo
pipes are used to divert perennial springs on the hilltops to the lower reaches by gravity.
11.On the map of India show the following multi-purpose projects :
(1) Bhakra-Nangal
(2) Hirakud
(3) Nagarjunasagar
(4) Tungabhadra
(5) Sardar Sarovar.
Answer:
See map given below :
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