Get here the notes, questions, answers, textbook solutions, summary, additional/extras, and PDF of TBSE (Tripura Board) Class 10 madhyamik Social Science (Geography/Contemporary India II) Chapter “Water Resources.” However, the provided notes should only be treated as references, and the students are encouraged to make changes to them as they feel appropriate.
Summary
Water is a renewable resource that is constantly replenished through the hydrological cycle, but despite three-fourths of the Earth’s surface being covered in water, water scarcity is a growing concern. This scarcity is often caused by over-exploitation, excessive use, and unequal access to water among different social groups, rather than a lack of available water resources.
Population growth and industrialization have also contributed to water scarcity, as industries are heavy users of water and urban centers with large populations and high energy demands exacerbate the problem. Additionally, even if there is sufficient water available, the quality of the water may be poor due to pollution from domestic and industrial waste, chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers.
To address this issue, it is necessary to conserve and manage our water resources to ensure food security, continuation of livelihoods and productive activities, and prevent ecological crises. Overexploitation and mismanagement of water resources will have profound impacts on our lives, and it is crucial to take action to safeguard this valuable resource.
To conserve and manage water, several methods can be adopted, including multi-purpose projects, integrated water resources management, and rainwater harvesting. Multi-purpose projects and dams were traditionally built to impound rivers and rainwater that could be used later to irrigate agricultural fields. Nowadays, dams are built for electricity generation, water supply for domestic and industrial uses, flood control, recreation, inland navigation, and fish breeding. Multi-purpose projects integrate the various uses of the impounded water with one another.
However, dams and multi-purpose projects have also come under scrutiny and opposition in recent years. They affect the natural flow of rivers, 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. Dams also fragment rivers, making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning. The reservoirs that are created on the floodplains also submerge the existing vegetation and soil leading to its decomposition over time.
Rainwater harvesting is an alternative to multi-purpose projects and dams. In ancient India, 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 according to local ecological conditions and their water needs. People built diversion channels like the ‘guls’ or ‘kuls’ of the Western Himalayas for agriculture. ‘Rooftop rainwater harvesting’ was commonly practiced 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, people built check dams, tanks and ponds to conserve rainwater. These practices help conserve water, prevent soil erosion, and recharge groundwater.
Video tutorial
Textual questions and answers
1. Multiple choice questions.
(i) Based on the information given below classify each of the situations as ‘suffering from water scarcity’ or ‘not suffering from water scarcity’.
(a) Region with high annual rainfall.
(b) Region having high annual rainfall and large population.
(c) Region having high annual rainfall but water is highly polluted.
(d) Region having low rainfall and low population.
Answer: (a) Region with high annual rainfall would not be suffering from water scarcity.
(b) Region having high annual rainfall and large population could be suffering from water scarcity.
(c) Region having high annual rainfall but water is highly polluted could be suffering from water scarcity.
(d) Region having low rainfall and low population could be suffering from water scarcity.
(ii) Which one of the following statements is not an argument in favour of multipurpose river projects?
(a) Multi-purpose projects bring water to those areas which suffer from water scarcity.
(b) Multi-purpose projects by regulating water flow helps to control floods.
(c) Multi-purpose projects lead to large scale displacements and loss of livelihood.
(d) Multi-purpose projects generate electricity for our industries and our homes.
Answer: (c) Multi-purpose projects lead to large scale displacements and loss of livelihood.
(iii) Here are some false statements. Identify the mistakes and rewrite them correctly.
(a) Multiplying urban centres with large and dense populations and urban lifestyles have helped in proper utilisation of water resources.
(b) Regulating and damming of rivers does not affect the river’s natural flow and its sediment flow.
(c) In Gujarat, the Sabarmati basin farmers were not agitated when higher priority was given to water supply in urban areas, particularly during droughts.
(d) Today in Rajasthan, the practice of rooftop rainwater water harvesting has gained popularity despite high water availability due to the Indira Gandhi Canal.
Answer: The false statements are:
(a) Multiplying urban centres with large and dense populations and urban lifestyles have helped in proper utilisation of water resources.
(b) Regulating and damming of rivers does not affect the river’s natural flow and its sediment flow.
(d) Today in Rajasthan, the practice of rooftop rainwater water harvesting has gained popularity despite high water availability due to the Indira Gandhi Canal.
The corrected statements are:
(a) Multiplying urban centres with large and dense populations and urban lifestyles have not necessarily helped in proper utilisation of water resources.
(b) Regulating and damming of rivers can affect the river’s natural flow and its sediment flow.
(d) Today in Rajasthan, the practice of rooftop rainwater water harvesting has gained popularity despite the availability of water from the Indira Gandhi Canal.
2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Explain how water becomes a renewable resource.
Answer: Water is a renewable resource because it is constantly replenished through the water cycle. Water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, and then falls back to the earth as rain or snow. This cycle is constantly repeating, which means that water is constantly being renewed and is therefore considered a renewable resource.
(ii) What is water scarcity and what are its main causes?
Answer: Water scarcity is a situation in which the demand for water exceeds the available supply. It can be caused by factors such as population growth, over-exploitation of water resources, climate change, and pollution. It can also be caused by poor water management and infrastructure, leading to inefficient use of water resources.
(iii) Compare the advantages and disadvantages of multi-purpose river projects.
Answer: Multi-purpose river projects have both advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is that they can provide a variety of services such as irrigation, hydropower, flood control, and navigation. However, they can also have negative impacts on the environment, such as the disruption of natural river flows, the destruction of habitats, and the displacement of people.
3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.
(i) Discuss how rainwater harvesting in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan is carried out.
Answer: Rainwater harvesting in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan is typically carried out using traditional methods. These methods include constructing small tanks and ponds to collect and store rainwater, using water harvesting pits to collect and store runoff from roofs and other surfaces, and using check dams and other structures to slow the flow of water and increase the amount of water that can be collected. Additionally, some modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting methods are being used, such as rooftop rainwater harvesting systems, which involve collecting rainwater from rooftops and storing it in underground tanks. These methods are being used to conserve and store water in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan.
(ii) Describe how modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting methods are being carried out to conserve and store water.
Answer: Modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting methods are being used to conserve and store water in many parts of India. Rooftop rainwater harvesting systems are being installed in households in both rural and urban areas to collect and store rainwater. Additionally, bamboo drip irrigation systems are being used in Meghalaya to transport water from streams and springs to plants. This system involves tapping stream and spring water by using bamboo pipes and then reducing the flow to 20-80 drops per minute at the site of the plant. These modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting methods are being used to conserve and store water in many parts of India.
Additional/extra questions, answers and MCQs
1: What percentage of the earth’s surface is covered with water?
Answer: About 71 percent of the earth’s surface is covered with water.
2: What is the percentage of fresh water effectively available for human use on the earth?
Answer: About 3 percent of the total water on the earth is of fresh which is effectively available for human use.
93. What is the purpose of rainwater harvesting?
a) to generate electricity
b) to recharge ground water aquifers
c) to increase the salinity of ground water
d) to cause floods and soil erosion
Answer: b) to recharge ground water aquifers
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger. He manages Online Free Notes and reads Victorian literature. His favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and he hopes to travel the world. Get in touch with him by sending him a friend request.
Get notes of other boards, classes, and subjects