Chapter 3
Water Resources
Key Points and Definitions:
1. 96.5 per cent of the total volume of world's water is estimated to exist
as oceans and only 2.5 percent as freshwater.
2. India receives nearly 4 percent of the global precipitation and ranks
133 in the world in terms of water availability per person per annum.
3. By 2025. it is predicted that large parts of India will join countries or
regions having absolute water scarcity
4. Water scarcity in most cases is caused by over- exploitation, exces-
sive use and unequal access to water amot different social groups.
5. Water resources are being over-exploited to expand irrigated areas
and dry-season agriculture.
6. Intensive industrialisation and urbanisations has made matters worse
by exerting pressure on existing freshwater resources.
7. Water bodies are polluted by domestic and industrial wastes, chemi-
cals, pesticides and fertilisers used in agriculture
8. In the first century B.C.. Sringaverapura near Allahabad had sophisti-
cated water harvesting system channelling the flood water of the river
Ganga.
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9. In the 11th Century. Bhopal Lake, one of the largest artificial lakes of
its time was built.
10. Dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or re-
tards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment.
11. Jawaharlal Nehru proudly proclaimed the dams as the 'Temples of
modern India'.
12. Narmada Bachao Andolan' and the 'Tehri Dam Andolan' were started
against large multi-purpose river projects.
13.
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Dams
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14.
15. Rainwater Harvesting is the collection and storage of rain, rather than
allowing it to run off.
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Very Short answer Type Questions (1 Mark)
1. Which of the following is not the cause of water scarcity?
(a) Growing population
(b) Expansion of irrigation facilities
(c) Industries
(d) Water harvesting technique
2. Bhakra Nangal River Valley Project is made on the river:
(a) Sutlej-Beas (b) Ravi-Chenab
(c) Ganga (d) Son
3. Hirakud Dam is constructed on the river:
(a) Ganga (b) Manjira
(c) Manas (d) Mahanadi
4. The diversion channels seen in the Western Himalayas are called:
(a) Guls or Kuls (b) Khadins
(c) Johads (d) Recharge pits
5. Which was the largest artificial lake of ancient India built in the 11th
century?
6. Name the oldest water-harvesting system channeling the flood water
of river Ganga.
7. Which river is known as "River of Sorrow" in Jharkhand and West
Bengal?
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8. Why do some people oppose dams?
9. Choose the correct match-
(a) Tankas .............................................. Bikaners
(b) Bamboo drip irrigation system ................................ Madhya
Pradesh
(c) Ganga ................................................ Hirakud Dam
State whether the following statements are True or False-
10. Bamboo drip irrigation system is followed in Uttar Pradesh.
11. 'Narmada Bachao Andolan' was started against large multi-purpose
river projects
12. India receives nearly 9 per cent of the global precipitation.
Fill in the blanks-
13. Water of Bhakra Nangal Project is being used mainly for ..........
14. In Western Rajasthan today plenty of water is available due to ........
15. is a resistance to multi-purpose projects
16. In the question given below.there are two statements marked as As-
sertion (A) and Reason (R).Mark your answer as per the codes pro-
vided below :
(A) Local communities oppose Dams.
(R) Dams may submerge the land for cultivation and disrupt the lives
of the displaced people.
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Options:
(1) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of
(2) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of
(3) A is true but R is False
(4) A is false but R is true.
17. In the question given below.there are two statements marked as As-
sertion (A) and Reason (R).Mark your answer as per the codes pro-
vided below :
(A) India's rivers, especially the smaller ones, have all turned into
toxic streams.
(R) Dams were traditionally built to impound rivers and rainwater that
could be used later to irrigate agricultural fields.
Options:
(1) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of
(2) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(3) A is true but R is False.
(4) A is false but R is true
Answer Key:
1. (d) Water harvesting technique
2. (a) Sutlej-Beas
3. (d) Mahanadi
4. (a) Guls or Kuls
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5. Bhopal Lake
6. Sringaverapura near Allahabad
7. Damodar River
8. Dams may submerge the land for cultivation and disrupt the lives of
the displaced people
9. (a) Tankas ............................................ Bikaner
10. False
11. True
12. False
13. Hydel power and irrigation
14. Perennial Rajasthan Canal
15. Narmada Bachao Andolan
16. (1)
17. (2)
Short/Long Answer Type Questios (3/5 Markers)
1. Write three sources of fresh water.
2. What is water scarcity? Write the main reasons for water scarcity.
3. Write the main causes of water pollution.
4. What is the need for conservation of water resources?
5. Write some measures adopted for conservation of water resources.
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6. How was water conserved in ancient India? Give any four examples
in support of your answer.
7. Give a short note on Multi-purpose projects In India.
8. Give four major uses of water.
9. What is Palar Pani? What is its significance in the arid regions of
Rajasthan?
10. Describe any three different rainwater harvesting systems practised
in India.
11. Why dams are now referred as multi-purpose projects?
12. Mention the negative effect of over irrigation?
Answer Key:
1. (1) Precipitation - from rainfall.
(2) Surface water - in rivers, lakes, etc.
(3) Ground water - water stored in underground acquifers which gets
recharged by rainfall.
2. means shortage of water.
1. Large growing population
2. water resources are being over-exploited to expand irrigated
areas
3. greater demand for water with growing urbanisation and
industrialisation.
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4. unequal access to water among different social groups
5. Excessive use of water by industries
6. Over exploitation of water in the urban areas
3. 1. Domestic wastes,
2. lndustrial wastes are disposed off in the water without proper
treatment.
3. Chemical effluents from industries and from agricultural sector.
4. Pesticides and fertilisers used in agriculture
5. Many human activities, e.g., religious rituals and immersing of
idols, etc. in the water also pollute water.
4. (1) Water resources are limited and our requirements are increas-
ing day by day.
(2) Most of our resources are polluted and unsuitable for drinking
and other purposes.
(3) To safeguard ourselves from health hazards.
(4) To ensure food security and for continuation of our livelihoods.
(5) To prevent degradation natural ecosystem.of our water bodies
5. (1) Do not overdraw the ground water, recharge the ground water
(2) Avoid wastage of water at all levels.
(3) Do not pollute the water.
(4) tapping the rainwater in reservoirs, watershed development
programmes, etc.
(5) Drip irrigation and sprinklers etc., especially in dry areas.
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6. (1) In the first century B.C., Allahabad had sophisticated water har-
vesting system
(2) During the time of Chandragupta Maurya, dams, lakes and irri-
gation systems were extensively built.
(3) Sophisticated irrigation works have been found in Kalinga in
Odisha, Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh, Bennur in
Karnataka and Kolhapur in Maharashtra.
(4) Bhopal lake, built in the 11th century, was one of the largest arti-
ficial lakes of its time.
(5) In the 14th century, lltutmish constructed a tank in Hauz Khas,
Delhi for supplying water in Siri Fort area.
7. 1. launched after Independence with their integrated water re-
sources management approach
2. Jawaharlal Nehru proudly proclaimed the dams as the 'temples
of modern India';
3. lt would integrate development of agriculture and the village
economy with rapid industrialisation and growth of the urban
economy.
8. 1. Drinking and domestic consumption like washing clothes.
2. Irrigation of farm lands.
3. Generation of Hydro-electricity.
4. Uses in industrial establishments.
9. The rainwater which is stored in underground tanks is potable water.
It is called Palar Pani. In the arid regions of Rajasthan, it is important
in the following ways.
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• It is the main source of drinking water, when all other sources have
dried up.
• It is considered the purest form of drinking water.
• In summer, these tanks would keep the underground rooms cool,
adjoining them, clean.
10. In hills and mountainous regions, people built diversion channels like
guls or kuls for agriculture.
• Inundation channels were built in the floodplains of Bengal,
• In arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, agricultural fields were
converted into rainfed storage structures
11. (a) The uses of the impounded water are in integration with one an-
other.
(b) Dams are constructed to flood control, irrigation, generation and
distribution of electricity.
(c) Dams are constructed to conserve water, vegetation and soil.
(d) It also helps to promote tourism.
12. (a) This has great ecological consequences like Stalinization of the
soil.
(b) Decrease the soil fertility.
(c) It leads to water scarcity.
Source based questions (4 Marks)
1. Read the following passage and answer the questions at the end.
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Multi-purpose projects and large dams have also been the cause of
many new social movements like the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan' and the
Tehri Dam Andolan' etc. Resistance to these projects has primarily been
due to the large-scale displacement of local communities. Local people
often had to give up their land, livelihood and their meagre access and
control over resources for the greater good of the nation. So, if the local
people are not benefiting from such projects then who is benefited? Per-
haps, the landowners and large farmers, industrialists and few urban cen-
tres. Take the case of the landless in a village - does he really gain from
such a project?
(a) What was the reason behind Narmada Bachao Andolan?
(b) Who is benefited by multi-purpose projects?
(c) What is your opinion on resistance against large dam from local
people. Write in your own words.
2. Read the following passage and answer the questions at the end.
Irrigation has also changed the cropping pattern of many regions with
farmers shifting to water intensive and commercial crops. This has great
ecological consequences like salinisation of the soil. At the same time, it
has transformed the social landscape i.e. increasing the social gap be-
tween the richer landowners and the landless poor. As we can see, the
dams did create conflicts between people wanting different uses and ben-
efits from the same water resources. In Gujarat, the Sabarmati-basin farm-
ers were agitated and almost caused a riot over the higher priority given to
water supply in urban areas, particularly during droughts. Inter-state water
disputes are also becoming common with regard to sharing the costs and
benefits of the multipurpose project.
(a) How did cropping pattern changed by irrigation?
(b) The dams created conflict between people.Analyse the statement.
(c) What are the consequences of irrigation on soil and social landscape?
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3. Read the following passage and answer the questions at the end.
In the semi-arid and arid regions of Rajasthan, particularly in Bikaner,
Phalodi and Barmer, almost all the houses traditionally had underground
tanks or tankas for storing drinking water. The tanks could be as large as a
big room; one household in Phalodi had a tank that was 6.1 metres deep,
4.27 metres long and 2.44 metres wide. The tankas were part of the well-
developed rooftop rainwater harvesting system and were built inside the
main house or the courtyard. They were connected to the sloping roofs of
the houses through a pipe. Rain falling on the rooftops would travel down
the pipe and was stored in these underground 'tankas'. The first spell of
rain was usually not collected as this would clean the roofs and the pipes.
The rainwater from the subsequent showers was then collected.
(a) In which areas of Rajasthan are tankas found?
(b) What do you understand by rooftop water harvesting system?
(c) Why is the first spell of rain not stored in the tankas?
Answer key of source based questions
1. (a) Displacement of local people on a large scale
(b) Zamindars and big farmers or industrialists and some urban
centers
(c) The government should compensate the displaced people and
make them partners in profit sharing.
2. (a) Refer to notes.
(b) Refer to notes.
(c) Refer to notes.
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3. (a) Refer to notes.
(b) Refer to notes.
(c) Refer to notes.
Map Based Questions-
1. Locate and label the following items on the given-map with appropri-
ate symbols.
1. Tehri dam 2. Bhakra Nangal Dam
3. Rana Pratap Sagar dam 4. Salal dam
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2. Locate and table the folowing items on the given map.
1. Tungabhadra 2. Hirakund
3. Nagarjun sagar 4. Sardar sarovar dam
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