Chapter 6: Water Resources

3 marks questions
Q1.'Rainwater Harvesting is considered as a low cost and eco-friendly technique of preserving water essential resources., Justify.
Ø  Ans:- Rainwater harvesting is a method to capture and store rainwater for various uses. It is also used to recharge groundwater aquifers.
Ø  It is a low cost and eco-friendly technique for preserving every drop of water by guiding the rainwater to bore well, pits and wells.
Ø  Rainwater harvesting increases water availability, check the declining ground water table improves the quality of groundwater through dilution of contaminants like fluorides and nitrates.
Ø  It prevents soil erosion and flooding and arrests salt water intrusion in coastal areas if used to recharge aquifers.

Q2. There is very high demand water for irrigation India. Justify.
Ans: a) Rainfall India is concentrated for few months and therefore, irrigation required the months. Rainfall uneven Deccan Plateau dry due to deficient and agriculture be practiced the absence irrigation.
b)  Water requirement certain crops such as Jute, Sugarcane Rice is high which can be met by irrigation.
c)  Use of HYV seeds, fertilizers and multiple cropping in the fields have made irrigation.
Q3. How can we conserve the water resources?
Ans:

a)     Adopt laws and acts to conserve water
b)     Use water saving methods and technology
c)       Prevent water pollution
d)     4. Watershed development
e)     Rainwater harvesting
f)      Water recycling and reuse

Q4. What do mean by watershed management ? write some technic for watershed management.
Ans:
Watershed management basically refers to the efficient management and conservation of surface and groundwater resources. It involves prevention of runoff and storage and recharge of groundwater through various methods like percolation tanks recharge wells, etc.
i.          Rain water harvesting
ii.          Recycling of water
iii.          Conjunctive use of water for sustaining water supply in long run.
iv.          Prevention of water pollution
v.          Saving water in household work
vi.          Re use of water
vii.          Creates awareness among people about water conservation
Q5. What are the major problems of over utilisation groundwater resource?
Ans:         a) Led to decline groundwater table.
b)     Rajasthan And Maharashtra has increased fluoride concentration.
c)     West Bengal and Bihar has increased arsenic.
 
5 marks Questions
Q1. Why demand of water for irrigation increasing in India? Explain with example. 
Ans:
In India, water is mainly used for irrigation in agriculture. Since, the agriculture of India is based on monsoon with spatial and temporal variation, need of irrigation is high. Following are the reasons which show necessity of irrigation in India: -
Ø  Seasonal Rainfall in India is highly seasonal. Most of the rainfall occurs during four months from June to September. The remaining part of the year remains dry.
Ø  Uncertain Rainfall Monsoonal rainfall is uncertain in time and space. Normal rainfall has variations from year to year which results in famines. Hence, irrigation is necessary for agriculture in areas of inadequate rainfall.
Ø  Unequal Distribution of Rainfall The annual rainfall is unevenly distributed. About 30% of total land area receive less than 75 cm rainfall. In such areas, irrigation supplements rainfall.
Ø  Demand for Crops Some particular crops like rabi crops and cash crops like cotton, sugarcane and jute require intensive irrigation.
Ø  .To Increase Productivity Expansion of irrigation facilities results in increase in productivity and enhances the production of food crops. This helps to meet the demand of  food grains in India.
Q2. What is watershed management? How can watershed management fulfil the need of water in India? Explain with examples.
Ans: Watershed management refers to efficient management and conservation of surface and groundwater resources. It is new approach, to solve the rising wate, crisis in the country. It fulfils the need of water in India through following measures.
Ø  If has been evolved as holistic system of water conservation to fulfil water requirement. . It involves prevention of surface off and helps in storing and recharging of groundwater through various methods like percolation tanks, recharge well etc. These methods helped in increasing per capita availability of water.
Ø  It has created awareness among people about the judicious use of water resources.
Ø  It has discouraged overgrazing and deforestation and promoted afforestation for conservation of water resources. Due to such initiatives, the quality of groundwater has increased over the period of time.
Ø  . It has fulfilled both domestic as well as agricultural requirement of water.
Ø  It has enabled the rural population to conserve
Ø  water for drinking, irrigation and fisheries.
Ø  Ralegan Siddhi, a small village of Maharashtra has setup example in front of world, that how watershed management can fulfil the need of water.
Ø  For example, Haryali programme of Central Government, Neeru Meeru and Arvary Pani Sansad in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
 Q. “ India is a country with 10,360 rivers, but still there are large areas suffering from water crisis “- Elucidate in the light of reasons responsible and the possible remedies. 
Ans: Large number of rivers are non-perennial.
Uneven distribution of water resources.
Unreliable monsoon rain
Overexploitation of ground water 
Water Pollution 
Poor Water Management Policy (Any 3 Points) 
 REMEDIES 
Mechanism for water conservation & Management 
Prevention of Water Pollution 
Recycle & Reuse of water (Any other relevant point)
Q. The depleting water resources may lead to social conflicts and disputes. Elaborate it with suitable examples? 
Ans: Water is a cyclic resource with abundant supplies on the globe. Approximately, 71 per cent of the earth’s surface is covered with it but freshwater constitutes only about 3 per cent of the total water. In fact, a very small proportion of freshwater is effectively available for human use. The availability of freshwater varies over space and time. The tensions and disputes on sharing and control of this scarce resource are becoming contested issues among communities, regions, and states.
The sharing of waters of rivers of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh is a contesting issue. 
 Since long, the dispute is going on between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the waters of Kaveri River. 
 The sharing of waters of Narmada Basin is a dispute between the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. (Any other relevant point)
Q. What is watershed management? Do you think it can play an important role in sustainable development? 
Ans: Watershed management basically refers to efficient management and conservation of surface and groundwater resources with community participation. It involves prevention of runoff and storage and recharge of groundwater through various methods like percolation tanks, recharge wells, etc. Watershed management aims at bringing about balance between natural resources on the one hand and society on the other. The success of watershed development largely depends upon community participation. The Project is being executed by Gram Panchayats with people’s participation. The Central and State Governments have initiated many watershed development and management programs in the country Haryali is a watershed development project sponsored by the Central Government which aims at enabling the rural population to conserve water for drinking, irrigation, fisheries and afforestation. The Central and State Governments have initiated many watershed development and management programmes in the country: Neeru-Meeru (Water and You) programme (in Andhra Pradesh) and Arvary Pani Sansad (in Alwar, Rajasthan) have taken up constructions of various water-harvesting structures such as percolation tanks, dug out 5 ponds (Johad), check dams, etc., through people’s participation. (Any other relevant point)
Q. When was National Water Policy launched. State its major objectives.
Ans: The National Water Policy was launched in 2002 . It stipulates water allocation priorities broadly in the following order: drinking water; irrigation, hydro-power, navigation, industrial and other uses. The policy stipulates progressive new approaches to water management. Key features include: 
 • Irrigation and multi-purpose projects should invariably include drinking water component, wherever there is no alternative source of drinking water. 
 • Providing drinking water to all human beings and animals should be the first priority. 
 • Measures should be taken to limit and regulate the exploitation of groundwater. 
 • Both surface and groundwater should be regularly monitored for quality. A phased programme should be undertaken for improving water quality. 
 • The efficiency of utilisation in all the diverse uses of water should be improved. 
 • Awareness of water as a scarce resource should be fostered. 
 • Conservation consciousness should be promoted through education, regulation, incentives and disincentives. (Any 5)