NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Geography Chapter 3 Water Resources
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Geography Chapter 3 covers Water Scarcity, Multi-Purpose River Projects, Advantages and Disadvantages of Dams, Rainwater Harvesting Systems, and Traditional Water Conservation Techniques.
Overview of Topics & Subtopics (Click to Jump)
1. Water Scarcity and Need for Conservation
Short Note:
• Water Availability: 96.5% of total global water volume exists as oceans; only 2.5% exists as fresh water.
• Causes of Water Scarcity: Population growth, expanding agriculture, industrialization, urbanization, over-exploitation, and pollution of water sources.
• Quantitative vs Qualitative Scarcity: Scarcity occurs not only due to non-availability but also due to bad quality of water polluted by domestic and industrial wastes.
2. Multi-Purpose River Projects and Dams
Short Note:
• Temples of Modern India: Jawaharlal Nehru proudly proclaimed multi-purpose dams as the 'Temples of Modern India' because they integrated agricultural development with rapid industrialization.
• Key Projects:
- Bhakra-Nangal Project: On Sutlej-Beas river basin (hydel power and irrigation).
- Hirakud Project: On Mahanadi river (flood control and conservation).
- Sardar Sarovar Dam: On Narmada river (supplying water to drought-prone areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan).
3. Environmental & Social Issues of Dams
Short Note:
• Adverse Impacts: Fragmenting rivers disrupts aquatic fauna migration; excessive sedimentation at the bottom of reservoirs; causes land submergence and soil salinization.
• Social Protests: Gave rise to popular movements like Narmada Bachao Andolan and Tehri Dam Andolan due to large-scale displacement of local communities without proper rehabilitation.
4. Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Short Note:
• Traditional Methods:
- Guls and Kuls: Diversion channels built in Western Himalayas for agriculture.
- Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting: Commonly practiced in Rajasthan using underground tanks (Tanka) to store drinking water (Palar Pani).
- Khadins and Johads: Rain-fed storage structures in agricultural fields (Jaisalmer and other Rajasthan areas).
- Bamboo Drip Irrigation System: Practiced in Meghalaya to tap stream and spring water using bamboo pipes.
• Mandatory Harvesting: Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to make rooftop rainwater harvesting compulsory for all houses.
Intext & Conceptual Questions
2. He believed these projects would integrate agriculture and village economy with rapid industrialization and urban growth.
3. They were seen as the key to economic self-reliance post-independence.
2. It is collected via rooftop rainwater harvesting systems.
3. The collected water flows through pipes into large underground tanks called Tankas built inside or beside courtyard houses.
Textbook Chapter End Exercise Questions
1. Domestic Sewage: Untreated sewage and household wastes dumped directly into rivers and ponds.
2. Industrial Effluents: Chemical wastes, toxic heavy metals, and hot water released into water bodies without treatment.
3. Agricultural Chemicals: Excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides washed away into groundwater and surface streams.
Advantages:
1. Provides regular irrigation facilities to dry agricultural fields.
2. Generates hydroelectricity for domestic and industrial usage.
3. Controls floods and supports inland navigation and fish breeding.
Disadvantages:
1. Causes submergence of vast forest areas and displacement of local tribal populations.
2. Excessive damming alters natural river flow, causing heavy siltation and harming aquatic biodiversity.
3. Triggers interstate water disputes and can induce earthquakes and water-borne diseases.
1. Guls/Kuls: In hilly regions like the Western Himalayas, people build diversion channels for agricultural irrigation.
2. Rooftop Harvesting (Tankas): In dry areas of Rajasthan, rainwater from roofs is channeled into underground storage tanks.
3. Khadins and Johads: Rain-fed storage structures built in agricultural fields to moisten the soil.
4. Bamboo Drip System: In Meghalaya, 200-year-old system using bamboo pipes to drip water at the base of plants.
Read More & Chapter Resources
These short notes are designed for quick revision. Read the main points once, then use the related material below to practise the same chapter. Revising a concept and checking it with questions can make your preparation more focused.