Test: Weather & Climate - Software Development MCQ

The correct answer is Gurugram.

Key Points

• The climate of the state is subtropical, semi-arid to sub-humid, continental, and monsoon type.
• The state has three distinct climatic regions namely the hot arid region, hot semi-arid region, and hot sub-humid region.
• Haryana is very hot in summer and markedly cold in winter. The maximum temperature in the months of May and June goes as high as 46 degrees Celcius.
• The climate is arid to semi-arid with an average rainfall of 354.5mm.
• Under the Koppen climate classification, Gurugram experiences a hot semi-arid climate(BSh).
• The city experiences four distinct seasons- spring(February-March), summer (April-August), autumn (October-November), and winter (December-January).
• The season experiences heat indices easily breaking 43 degrees Celcius. winters are cool and foggy with few sunny days.
• Gurugram is a city located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi-Haryana border, about 30 kilometers southwest of the national capital New Delhi.

The correct answer is option 2 i.e 536.5mm.

• The climate of Haryana is arid to semi-arid.
• Haryana is spread over an area of 44,212 sq. km.
• The average annual rainfall of Haryana is 536.5 mm.
• The climate of Haryana is very hot in summer seasons and cold in the winter season.
• Haryana is located with an altitude between 700-3600 ft above sea level.
• Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala Districts are the maximum rain-hit areas in Haryana.

Option 3 is the correct answer: December and January the coldest months in the State of Haryana.

• Haryana lies in the northwestern part of India where the coldest months are December and January.
• Following are some other climatic features of North India:
  • Continental type of climate prevails in this region and therefore the summers are hotter and winters are colder here.
  • This region receives rainfall from Monsoon winds which arrive here in late June and cause rainfall till late August.
  • Presence of Himalayas in the North causes the rainfall from Monsoon in this region.
  • Himalayas play an important role in determining the climate of North India by bringing rainfall, protecting it from the cold Arctic Blizzards.
  • Major portion of rainfall is received during winter months because of Western Disturbances.
  • In this region, after monsoons, the temperatures do not fall much and there is scarce rainfall also which leads to 'October heat'.

• ‘Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue Management’ is a regional project launched by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) on 28 December 2017.
• NAFCC is a Central government project under which 100% central grant is provided to the State Governments to aid them in climate change adaptation projects.
• Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through Crop Residue Management aims at tackling the problem of Stubble Burning.
• Its first phase was approved for Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan at a cost of approximately Rs. 100 Crore. 

The correct answer is Breadbasket of India.

Key Points

• Haryana is called the Breadbasket of India.
• A breadbasket, is a region of a nation producing large quantities of wheat or other grains due to the richness of the soil and the favorable climate.
• In India, both Punjab and Haryana are referred to as Breadbasket.
  • Haryana accounts for about 9% of India's total wheat production. In the financial year 2019, over 12 million metric tons of wheat were produced in the northern state of Haryana in India. 

Additional Information

• Haryana
  • Capital - Chandigarh.
  • 1^st Chief Minister - Bhagwat Dayal Sharma (Indian National Congress).
  • 1^st Governor - Dharma Vira.
  • Chief Minister (As of October 2022): Manohar Lal Khattar.
  • Governor(As of October 2022): Bandaru Dattatreya

The correct answer is the Sub-tropical Monsoon Climate.

• About Sub-tropical Monsoon climate:
  • Panchkula district has a Sub-Tropical continental monsoon climate having, Cool winters, Hot summers good Monsoon Rainfall. It has a great Fluctuation in temperature (-1°C to 43°C). Sometimes winter frost occurs during the months of December and January.
  • The district also receives the Winter rains from the western disturbance. The Rainfall is mostly received in the monsoon.
  • In India, Monsoon receives a major part of its rainfall from the south-west wind system originates from the Indian Ocean. Rainfall season starts from the month of June and retreating monsoon winds leave the subcontinent by October.
  • In the Northern part of India (states including Haryana, Punjab, New Delhi), etc are received rainfall from both the south-west wind system and the North-East wind system. Some of the upper states of India receives rainfall because of the Western Disturbance.
• Notes:
  • The current Director of the Indian Meteorological Department is Dr. Mrutunjay  Mohapatra (August 2020).

The correct answer is Palwal.​Key Points

 As per the Haryana State forest report 2021,

• Palwal (13.56 sq km) is the district with the least forest area in Haryana.
• The lowest forest area in Haryana 'second district Panipat (16.45 Sq. Km.)
• The lowest forest area in Haryana is the third district, Fatehabad (18.49 sq.km).
• The district with the highest forest percentage in Haryana is Panchkula (43.66%).

Additional Information 

• India State of Forest Report (ISFR):
  • Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change releases the ISFR.
  • It is a biennial publication of the Forest Survey of India (FSI).
  • The report assesses the forest and tree cover, bamboo resources, carbon stock, forest fires and various other parameters.
•  Bhupender Yadav currently holds the portfolio of the Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

The correct answer is Trans-Gangetic plain region.

• India has been broadly divided into fifteen agricultural regions.
• It is based on agroclimatic features particularly soil type, climate including temperature and rainfall and its variation and water resources availability.
• Haryana falls in the Agro Climatic Zone-VI, which is called Trans-Gangetic Plains Region.
• The four main geographical features of the state are:
  • Shivalik Hills, Ghaggar Yamuna Plain, Semi-desert sandy plain and Aravali hills.
• All the regions are given below:
  • Western Himalayan division
  • Eastern Himalayan division
  • Lower Gangetic plain region
  • Middle Gangetic plain region
  • Upper Gangetic plain region
  • Trans-Gangetic plain region
  • Eastern plateau and hill region
  • Central plateau and hill region
  • Western plateau and hill region
  • Southern plateau and hill region
  • East coast plain and hill region
  • West coast plain and hill region
  • Gujarat plain and hill region
  • Western plain and hill region
  • Island region

The correct answer is option 3.

Key Points

• The average annual rainfall is around 450 mm, of which the average monthly rainfall received during the July and August months is 133.4 and 116.2 mm, respectively.
• The average monthly rainfall during September is 54.5 mm and in June is 49.8mm.
• The average rainfall received during the monsoon season is around 354 mm.
• The rainfall received in an area is an important parameter that determines the availability of the required quantity of water to meet various types of demand including agricultural, industrial, domestic water supply, and power generation as well.
• The variation of rainfall since it affects the food production and availability of fresh water.
• Most of the year, the climate of Haryana is of a pronounced continental character, very hot in summer and markedly cold in winter.
• The rainfall in the region is low and erratic except in parts of Karnal, Kurukshetra, and Ambala Districts.

The correct answer is Moderate Drought Affected area.

Key Points

• Haryana is included in Moderate Drought Affected area.
• Most of the drought-prone areas are found in arid, semi-arid, and sub-humid regions of the country.
  • Parts of Haryana fall under arid zone and semi-arid zone.
• On the basis of severity of droughts, India can be divided into the following regions:
  • Extreme Drought Affected Areas
  • Severe Drought Prone Areas
  • Moderate Drought Affected Areas
• Moderate Drought Affected Areas include-
  • Northern parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, southern districts of Uttar Pradesh, the remaining parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra except Konkan, Jharkhand and Coimbatore plateau of Tamil Nadu and interior Karnataka are included in this category.

Additional Information

• Drought  is a normal, recurrent feature of climate and occurs in all climatic regimes and is usually characterized in terms of its spatial extension, intensity and duration.
• Ministry of Agriculture is the nodal Ministry in respect of monitoring and managing drought conditions.
  • Droughts are classified into meteorological droughts, hydrological droughts and agricultural droughts.
  • In India, around 68% of the country is prone to drought in varying degrees.
  • 35% which receives rainfall between 750 mm and 1125 mm is considered drought prone while 33% receiving less than 750 mm is chronically drought prone.
• Meteorological drought is classified based on rainfall deficiency w.r.t. long term average -
  • 25% or less is normal
  • 26-50% is moderate
  • more than 50% is severe

The correct answer is Barani.Key Points

•  During Mughal Period, the agricultural land in Haryana which was based on rainfall was known by the name Barani.
• The term 'barani' refers to the agricultural area that depends on rainfall for cultivation.
• The word 'barani' comes from the Persian word 'baran' meaning 'rain'. 

Additional Information

• Haryana is often called the “Food Mine” of the country.
• About 80% of the population of the state is agriculture dependent, directly or indirectly.
• Haryana is self sufficient in producing food grains and is also a major contributor of food grains in meeting the needs of other states of the country.

The correct answer is Statement (i) and (iii).

• The rainfall in Haryana occurs during the months of July–September with occasional showers during December–January.
• The range of rainfall in this region varied between 160-751 mm.
• Western disturbances are responsible for the showers during Dec-Jan.
  • Hence Statement (ii) is incorrect.
• The summers are generally quite hot and winters are fairly cool.
• The State has three distinct seasons, viz. winter (November–March), summer (April–June), and Rainy season (July–October). 
• Haryana falls in the Agro Climatic Zone-VI, which is called Trans-Gangetic Plains Region.
• Haryana falls in the Seismic Zones II, III & IV creating low to moderate damage risk from Earthquakes.

Notes:

• Western Disturbances:
  • The western disturbances originate in the Mid-latitude region near the Europe and  Atlantic ocean.
  • The low pressure forms over the Mediterranean Sea and travels over Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan before entering India and it has a sufficient amount of moisture.
  • It influences the weather of the north and north-western regions in India.
  • It damages the crops in the North Indian states like Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, because they are non-seasonal rains.

The correct answer is Patwari.

Key Points

• Roznamcha Waqiati:
  • It is a diary of daily incidents maintained by the patwari under executive instructions issued from time to time.
  • Patwari makes an entry for each day mentioning briefly the facts relating to rainfall, hailstorms and other natural calamities, transactions in land or other rights, visits by Superior Officers and orders given by them, orders of Civil and Criminal Courts received by him and executed by him, condition of the crop and cattle, various surveys and inspections conducted by him and any other facts of importance coming to his notice or reported to him. Hence, Option 1 is correct.
  • The diary for the year is started in September/October every year.
  • Its pages are numbered and authenticated by the office kanungo so that any tampering with the record is not possible.
  • As the entries in the documents are a valuable piece of evidence, it remains in the custody of Patwari during the operation of settlement, and copies of the relevant entries can be obtained from him on a payment basis prescribed under rules.

The correct answer is north-eastern part.

Key Points

• In Haryana, The rainfall in the region is low and erratic except in parts of Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala Districts.
  • The maximum rainfall is 216 cm and the minimum rainfall ranges from 25 to 38 cm. 
• The north-eastern part of Haryana receives more rainfall.
  • ​District Ambala lies on the North-Eastern edge of Haryana.
  • Ambala is the maximum rain-hit area in Haryana with average rainfall being 47.16 inches per annum.
  • Karnal and Kurushetra also receive heavy rainfall.
• The district Ambala is surrounded by the Shivalik hills.
  • When the clouds containing water hits the hills, it gets condenses and starts to pour.
  • As a result of which, rainfall happens in the region of Ambala district.

Solution-

• Cherrapunji or Sohra is a subdivision city East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya.
• It is the traditional capital of Ka itself Sohra.
• Sohra is often credited with being the wettest place on Earth, but for now Mausinram currently holds that distinction. It still holds the all-time record for most rainfall in a calendar month and in a year.

Important Points

• Chhachhrauli is a tehsil and gram panchayat town consisting of 20 wards in Yamuna Nagar district in the state of Haryana, India. It is 11 km north-east of Jagadhri.
• Chachhrauli is often referred to as "Cherrapunji of Haryana" as it receives the highest rainfall in the whole of Haryana.

The correct answer is Mangrove forests.

• All the given types of forest exist in Haryana except the Mangrove forests.
• Mangroves found in the coastal areas and in the delta of the Ganga region, Sundarban of West Bengal are Mangrove forests.
• Subtropical Thorn forests can be seen in the western region.
• Subtropical dry deciduous forest is in Northeastern region.
• Tropical moist deciduous forest can be seen in the northern region of Haryana in Shiwalik range.

Notes:

• Types of forest in India:
• Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests
  • These forests are found where rainfall is more than 200 cm.
  • They are found in the Northeastern regions of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, the Western Ghats, the Tarai areas of the Himalayas, and the Andaman groups of Islands. 
  • Sandal Wood, Rosewood, Mahogany, and bamboo.
• Deciduous or Monsoon Type of Forests
  • These forests are found where rainfall is between 100 cm and 200 cm.
  • They are found on the lower slope of the Himalayas, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra Jharkhand, and the adjoining areas. 
  • The leaves of these trees shed during dry winter and dry summer.
  •  Teak, Deodar, Blue Gum, Pal Ash, Sal, Sandalwood, Ebony.
• Dry Deciduous Forests
  • These forests are found where rainfall is between 50 cm and 100 cm.
  • They are found in Central Deccan plateau, Punjab, Haryana, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and South-east of Rajasthan.
• Mountain Forests
  • On the foothills of the Himalayas until a height of 1500 meters, evergreen trees like Sal, teak, and bamboo grow copiously.
  • Alpine grasslands are found.
• Tidal or Mangrove Forests
  • Found in the deltas of the Cauvery, Krishna, Mahanadi, Godavari, and Ganga. 
  • Sundarbans are the best example of mangrove forests.
  • Sundari tress is most important specie.
• Semi-Desert or thorny forests
  • These forests are found where rainfall is less than 50 cm.
  • Thorny bushes, acacia are found.
  • In Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan, we found this type of forests. 

The correct answer is option 3.

Key Points

• The Loo is a strong, dusty, gusty, hot, and dry summer wind from the west which blows over the Indo-Gangetic Plain region of North India and Pakistan.
• It is especially strong in the months of May and June.
• The southwestern district region of Haryana is affected in Loo during the summer season.
• The Loo mainly originates in the large desert regions of the northwestern Indian subcontinent.
• The Loo ends in late summer, with the arrival of the Indian monsoon. In some areas of North India and Pakistan, there are brief, but violent, dust storms known as Kali Andhi before the monsoon sets in.
• The arrival of monsoon clouds in any location is frequently accompanied by cloudburst.
• Ecological Effects:
  • Many birds and animals succumb to the Loo in the summer months, especially in deforested areas where the Loo blows unhindered and shelter is unavailable.
  • Certain insect-borne diseases, such as malaria, have historically registered dips during the Loo season as insect populations also plummet during this season.

Haryana falls in the Agro Climatic Zone-VI, which is called “Trans-Gangetic Plains Region”. The four main geographical features of the state are: Shivalik Hills, Ghaggar Yamuna Plain, Semi-desert sandy plain and Aravali hills. Rivers like Saraswati, Ghaggar, Tangri and Markanda originate from the Shivalik Hills. Ghaggar Yamuna Plain is made up of sand, clay, silt and hard calcareous balls like gravel known locally as “kankar”.

The correct answer is Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Key Points

Wheat:

• The wheat crop has wide adaptability.
• It can be grown not only in the tropical and sub-tropical zones but also in the temperate zone and the cold tracts of the far north, beyond even the 60 degrees north latitude.
• Wheat can tolerate severe cold and snow and resume growth with the setting in of warm weather in spring.
• It can be cultivated from sea level to as high as 3300 meters.
• The best wheat is produced in areas favoured with cool, moist weather during the major portion of the growing period followed by dry, warm weather to enable the grain to ripen properly. 
• It requires well-drained fertile soil, 10° - 15°C temperature during winter and about 75 cm annual average rainfall. Hence Statement A is true.
• During the heading and flowering stages, excessively high or low temperatures and drought are harmful to wheat.
• Cloudy weather, with high humidity and low temperatures, is conducive for rust attack.

Important Points

Wheat cultivation in India: 

• Wheat cultivation has traditionally been dominated by the northern region of India.
• The northern states of Punjab and Haryana Plains in India have been prolific wheat producers.
• Major wheat-growing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat.
• The northern part of India provides an ideal climate for wheat cultivation. Hence R is the correct explanation.