Important Questions: Water Resources | Social Studies (SST) Class 10 PDF Download

Welcome to this carefully curated document designed to prepare you for your board exams. The questions included here are highly significant, frequently asked in previous exams, and crafted to boost your confidence and performance.

1. Water Scarcity

Q1: Which one of the following factors is mainly responsible for declining water level in India?
(a) Irrigation
(b) Industrialisation
(c) Urbanisation
(d) Over-utilisation

View Answer    (d)
Over-utilisation is mainly responsible for declining water level in India. As the population increases, the consumption of water also increases.

Q2: "Water scarcity may be an outcome of large and growing population in India." Analyse the statement.

View Answer    Water scarcity in India is exacerbated by its large and growing population:
- Greater demands for water arise not only from domestic use but also from increased food production.
- Densely populated areas experience groundwater over-exploitation, significantly lowering water tables.
- Industrial demands and associated pollution further strain freshwater resources, contributing to water scarcity in many Indian cities.

Q3: "Urbanisation has added to water scarcity." Support the statement with arguments.

View Answer    Urbanization exacerbates water scarcity in India due to:
- Increased water demand for personal use in densely populated urban centers.
- Over-exploitation of groundwater by housing societies and colonies.
- Industries in urban areas contribute to water stress through high consumption and pollution.

Q4: “Water scarcity in most cases is caused by over-exploitation, excessive use and unequal access to water among different social groups.” Explain the meaning of statement with the help of examples.

View Answer    Water scarcity in most cases results from over-exploitation, excessive use, and unequal access among social groups:
- Over-exploitation is evident through extensive tubewell use for irrigation and industrial purposes.
- Excessive use is seen in urban areas where water is wasted due to inadequate recycling.
- Unequal access is apparent with affluent individuals having ample water while the poor face limited supply.

Q5: “India has a monsoon type of climate, even then it faces water scarcity in many parts of the country”. Elucidate the given sentence by providing some examples.

View Answer    Water scarcity means shortage of water. It is usually associated with regions having low ground water but it can also be about inferior quality of the water available. There are many other reasons which can cause scarcity of water. India has a monsoon type of climate which guarantees appropriate rainfall, yet it has water scarcity because:
- The availability of water resources varies over space and time, mainly due to the variations in seasonal and annual precipitation.
- Over-exploitation, excessive use and unequal access to water among different social groups of citizens also cause scarcity.
- Water scarcity may be an outcome of a large and growing population and consequent greater demand for water.
- Most farmers have their personal wells and tubewells in their farms for irrigation to increase their production. Excessive exploitation of groundwater can cause water scarcity.
- Water scarcity can also be caused due to availability of poor quality of water. This happens because industrial and domestic waste are released into water bodies making them unfit for use.

2. Rainwater Harvesting

Q1: Read the given source and answer the questions that follow:
RAINWATER HARVESTING
Many thought that, given the disadvantages and rising resistance against the multi-purpose projects, water harvesting system was a viable alternative, both socio-economically and environmentally. 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 and 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 hill and mountainous regions, people built diversion channels like the 'guls' or 'kuls' of the Western Himalayas for agriculture. 'Rooftop rainwater harvesting' was commonly practised to 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 rainfed storage structures that allowed the water to stand and moisten the soil like the 'khadins' in Jaisalmer and 'Johads' in other parts of Rajasthan.
(i) Why is water harvesting system a viable alternative?
(ii) Describe the process of 'rooftop rainwater harvesting.'
(iii) Mention any two methods adopted by ancient India for water conservation.

View Answer  ​
(i) The water harvesting system emerges as a viable alternative due to its dual benefits—socio-economic and environmental friendliness.
(ii) 'Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting' involves capturing rainwater from the roof, storing it in reservoirs, and providing a sustainable source of drinking water, especially notable in Rajasthan.
(iii) Ancient India employed diverse water conservation methods, such as building diversion channels like 'guls' or 'kuls' in the Western Himalayas for agriculture and creating rainfed storage structures like 'Khadins' in Jaisalmer and 'Johads' in Rajasthan's other regions.

Q2: How are traditional rainwater harvesting methods being carried out to conserve water resources in different regions? Explain with examples.

View Answer   
(i) In hilly regions, people engineered diversion channels like ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’ in the Western Himalayas to support agriculture.
(ii) 'Rooftop rainwater harvesting' was a common practice in Rajasthan for storing drinking water.
(iii) In Bengal's floodplains, people ingeniously developed inundation channels for field irrigation.
(iv) Arid and semi-arid regions transformed agricultural fields into rainfed storage structures like 'Khadins' in Jaisalmer and 'Johads' in Rajasthan, while regions like Bikaner, Phalodi, and Barmer adopted underground tanks for drinking water.

Q3: "Water harvesting system is an effective measure to reduce the problem of water scarcity.” Justify the statement.

View Answer    A large amount of this precious water just drains away. The only way to save this water from wastage is by rainwater harvesting. In its simplest form it involves storing the rainwater in tanks, or by making embankments etc. The different methods of rainwater harvesting used in India have been as follows:
(a) Guls or Kuls in the Western Himalayas.
(b) Rooftop rainwater harvesting in Rajasthan associated with tankas. Khadins in Jaisalmer and Johads in other parts of Rajasthan were also popular.
(c) Inundation channels in West Bengal.
(d) In Meghalaya which gets copious rain, rainwater harvesting is commonly practiced.
(e) In modern civil construction and housing societies provision for rainwater harvesting.

Q4: How has Shillong solved the problem of acute shortage of water?

View Answer    In Meghalaya, a system of tapping stream and spring water by using bamboo pipes is prevalent. This system solved the problem of acute shortage of water, to some extent.

Q5: What is rainwater harvesting? Or How is rainwater harvesting carried out in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan? Explain.

View Answer   
(a) 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.
(b)
(i) In arid and semi-arid regions, agricultural fields were converted into rainfed storage structures that allowed the water to stand and moisten the soil like the ‘Khadins’ in Jaisalmer and ‘Johads’ in other parts of Rajasthan.
(ii) In Bikaner, Phalodi, and Barmer, almost all the houses had underground tanks for storing drinking water.

3. Multi-Purpose Projects and Dams

Q1: In which of the following States is Tungabhadra Dam located?
(a) Tamil Nadu
(b) Kerala
(c) Andhra Pradesh
(d) Karnataka

View Answer    (d)
The Tungabhadra Dam is located in the state of Karnataka. Therefore, the correct answer is (d) Karnataka.

Q2: "Multi-purpose projects and large dams have been the cause of many new social movements." Highlight the concerns related to such movements.

View Answer    Resistance to these projects (Narmada Bachao Andolan and Tehri Dam Andolan) has primarily been due to the large-scale displacement of local communities. So, if the local people are not benefiting from such projects then who is benefited? With abundance of water many farmers shift to water-intensive and commercial crops. This has great ecological consequences like salinization of the soil. It has transformed the social landscape i.e. increasing the social gap between the richer landowners and the landless poor.

Q3: "The dams that were constructed to control floods have triggered floods.” Analyze the statement.

View Answer    Damming of rivers affects their natural flow causing poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir, and poorer habitat for the rivers’ aquatic life. Dams also fragment rivers making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning. Reservoirs created on the floodplains also submerge the existing vegetation and soil leading to its decomposition.

Q4: Explain any three reasons for which the multi-purpose projects and large dams have come under great scrutiny and opposition in the recent years.

View Answer   
(a) Regulating and damming of rivers affect their natural flow causing poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir, resulting in rockier stream beds and poorer habitats for the rivers’ aquatic life.
(b) Dams also fragment rivers making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning.
(c) The reservoirs that are created on the floodplains also submerge the existing vegetation and soil leading to its decomposition over a period of time.

4. Traditional Hydraulic Systems

Q1: Which one of the following is the irrigation system in Meghalaya?
(a) To irrigate land only during rainy season.
(b) To use large volumes of water for irrigation.
(c) To remove water from soil.
(d) To use bamboo drip irrigation system.

View Answer    (d)
In Meghalaya, farmers use a unique method called bamboo drip irrigation, which involves directing water through bamboo tubes to irrigate their fields. This traditional system is efficient and well-suited to the hilly terrain of the region, allowing for sustainable agriculture even in areas with limited water resources.

Q2: "Archaeological and historical records show that from ancient times we have been constructing sophisticated hydraulic structures in India.” Substantiate the statement by giving three evidences.

View Answer    Archaeological and historical records reveal India's rich tradition of sophisticated hydraulic structures:
- In the 1st century B.C., Sringaverapura near Allahabad showcased advanced water harvesting, channeling Ganga's floodwaters.
- During Chandragupta Maurya's rule, extensive construction of dams, lakes, and irrigation systems occurred.
- Evidence of sophisticated irrigation works is found in places like Kalinga, Nagarjunakonda, Bennur, and Kolhapur. In the 11th century, the construction of Bhopal Lake and the 14th-century tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi, further demonstrates India's historical prowess in hydraulic engineering.