Factual Passage Worksheet Solutions: Urban Folding | Class 11 English Grammar PDF Download

Read the following passages carefully:

1. The National Disaster Management Authority has recently released guidelines on the management of urban flooding. It clearly states that urban flooding should be treated as a separate disaster as the causes of urban flooding and the strategies to deal with them are different.
2. Even though urban flooding has been experienced for decades in India sufficient attention was not given to plan specific efforts to deal with it holistically. In the past, any strategy on Flood Disaster Management largely focused on riverine floods affecting large tracts of rural areas.
3. Urban Flooding is significantly different from rural flooding as urbanisation leads to developed catchments which increases the flood peaks by up to 8 times and flood volumes up to 6 times. Consequently flooding occurs very quickly due to faster flow times, sometimes in matter of minutes.
4. Urban areas are centres of economic activities with vital infrastructure which needs to be protected 24 x 7. In most of the cities, damage to vital infrastructure has a bearing not only locally but could even have global implications.
5. Urban areas are also densely populated and people living in vulnerable areas, both rich and poor, suffer due to flooding. It has sometimes resulted in loss of life, damage to property and disruptions in transport and power bringing life to a grinding halt causing untold misery and hardships. Even the secondary effects of subsequent epidemics and exposure to infection often takes further toll in terms of loss of livelihood, human suffering, and, in extreme cases, loss of life. Therefore, management of urban flooding has to be accorded top priority.
6. There has been an increasing trend of urban flood disasters in India over the past several years. Almost every major city in India has been severely affected. Mumbai floods of July 2005 turned out to be an eye opener. The deluge of rains in the catchment areas of the Yamuna during August and September in 2010 has inundated many villages and towns of Haryana, besides threatening .the low-lying areas of the Delhi, the national capital. The fury of floods did not spare many areas of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
7. Storm Water Drainage systems in the past were designed for a rainfall intensity of 12-20 mm/h. However, we have been experiencing rainfall of higher intensities in most of our cities every year, which overwhelm the SWD system. Moreover, the systems very often do not work to the designed capacities because of encroachments, dumping of solid waste and poor operations and maintenance.
8. Improper disposal of solid waste, including domestic, commercial and industrial waste and dumping of construction debris into the drains also contributes significantly to reducing their capacities. Every body is responsible for this.
9. Encroachments are a major problem in many cities and towns all over the country. With large scale encroachments on the natural drains and in the floodplains, the capacity of the natural drain has decreased, resulting in flooding even with lower intensities of rainfall.

A. Answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option:

Q.1. Urban flooding is to be treated as a separate disaster because______
(a) the problems of urban areas are unique
(b) urban areas get flooded easily
(c) the causes of urban flooding are different
(d) urban and riverine flooding are similar

Ans: (c)
Explanation: The passage states that urban flooding should be treated as a separate disaster because the causes of urban flooding and the strategies to deal with them are different from those of riverine flooding that primarily affect rural areas.

Q.2. Urban areas need a round the clock vigil because______
(a) they are centres of economic activities with vital infrastructure
(b) they are the hubs of commerce and industry
(c) they contain educational institutions and hospitals
(d) they provide rail/road links to the rural areas

Ans: (a)
Explanation: The passage mentions that urban areas are centers of economic activities with vital infrastructure that needs to be protected 24 x 7. Therefore, urban areas require round-the-clock vigilance.

Q.3. Encroachment on natural drains intensify flooding because______
(a) these divert the flow of water
(b) these cause whirls and speed up flow
(c) these decrease the capacity of drain
(d) these obstruct the smooth flow of water

Ans: (c)
Explanation: The passage explains that encroachments on natural drains and floodplains lead to a decrease in the capacity of the natural drain. As a result, even lower intensities of rainfall can cause flooding in urban areas.

Q.4. Urban flooding occurs very quickly as______
(a) the drainage is usually blocked
(b) storm water drainage is poor
(c) encroachments obstruct flow of water
(d) developed catchments increase faster flow times

Ans: (d)
Explanation: According to the passage, urban flooding occurs quickly due to developed catchments in urban areas, which increase the flood peaks by up to 8 times and flood volumes up to 6 times. This results in faster flow times, sometimes within a matter of minutes.

Q.5. Life comes to a grinding halt in a flooded urban centre as______
(a) people are vulnerable to deep water flowing fast
(b) transport and power are disrupted
(c) there is a loss of life and damage to property
(d) people face hardships and untold misery

Ans: (b)
Explanation: The passage states that flooding in urban areas causes disruptions in transport and power, which brings life to a grinding halt. This leads to hardships and untold misery for the people living in the flooded area.

Q.6. The word ‘overwhelm’ in para 7 means______
(a) stunned
(b) flooded
(c) overpowered
(d) defeated

Ans: (c)
Explanation: In this context, the word 'overwhelm' means to be overpowered. The passage mentions that higher intensities of rainfall in urban areas overwhelm the storm water drainage system, indicating that the system is unable to cope with the excessive amount of water.

B. Answer the following questions in brief:

Q.7. Why do urban areas need a round the clock vigil?

Urban areas need a round-the-clock vigil because they are centers of economic activities with vital infrastructure. Protecting this infrastructure 24 x 7 is necessary to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of these areas and to prevent damage or disruptions caused by flooding.

Q.8. What is the main cause of intensifying floods in- urban areas?

The main cause of intensifying floods in urban areas is the development of catchments. Urbanization leads to developed catchments, which increase the flood peaks by up to 8 times and flood volumes up to 6 times. This results in faster flow times and quicker flooding in urban areas.

Q.9. Give the words similar in meaning to these words from the passage

(a) Basic system and service (para 4)
(b) defeated (para 7)

(a) Vital infrastructure: "Basic system and service" in paragraph 4 can be replaced with "vital infrastructure" because the passage mentions that urban areas have vital infrastructure that needs to be protected 24 x 7.
(b) Overpowered: "Defeated" in paragraph 7 can be replaced with "overpowered" because the passage states that higher intensities of rainfall overwhelm or overpower the storm water drainage system.

Q.10. How does flood in urban areas affect life?

Floods in urban areas have significant impacts on life. They can lead to the loss of life, damage to property, disruptions in transport and power, and a grinding halt in daily activities. The passage also mentions that subsequent epidemics and exposure to infection can further worsen the effects, causing loss of livelihood and human suffering.

Q.11. How is urban flooding different to rural flooding?

Urban flooding is different from rural flooding because of the specific characteristics of urban areas. Urbanization leads to developed catchments, which increase the flood peaks and volumes significantly. Floods in urban areas occur much more quickly due to faster flow times. Additionally, urban areas have vital infrastructure that needs protection, and densely populated areas are vulnerable to flooding, impacting both rich and poor residents. In contrast, rural flooding typically affects larger tracts of rural areas and may have different causes and strategies for management.