Class 10 Social Science Chapter 8 Water Resources (Geography) PYQ

Class: X Subject: Social Science Session: 2025-26 Book: Geography Type: PYQ (Board Exam) Board: CBSE Chapter 3 : Water Resources

SECTION A : Multiple Choice Questions (1 Mark Each)

Q1. Which of the following is a multipurpose river valley project? [CBSE 2023] [1]
(a) Indira Gandhi Canal
(b) Bhakra Nangal Dam
(c) Periyar Canal
(d) Suez Canal Ans:
(b) Bhakra Nangal Dam on the Sutlej River. It provides irrigation, hydroelectricity, flood control, and water supply to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q2. Jawaharlal Nehru called dams as: [CBSE 2022] [1]
(a) Temples of modern India
(b) Pillars of democracy
(c) Engines of growth
(d) National treasures Ans:
(a) Temples of modern India. He believed large dams would drive industrial development, agricultural growth, and transform the economy. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q3. What percentage of the world's water is freshwater? [CBSE 2024] [1]
(a) 2.5%
(b) 10%
(c) 50%
(d) 75% Ans:
(a) Only 2.5% of total water on earth is freshwater. Of this, most is locked in ice caps and glaciers. Less than 1% is accessible for human use. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q4. Bamboo drip irrigation is practised in: [CBSE 2021] [1]
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Meghalaya
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Gujarat Ans:
(b) Meghalaya. In this indigenous system, water from hill streams is channelled through bamboo pipes to irrigate betel and black pepper plantations. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q5. Narmada Bachao Andolan is associated with: [CBSE 2020] [1]
(a) Saving forests
(b) Opposition to Sardar Sarovar Dam
(c) Anti-pollution movement
(d) Land reform Ans:
(b) Opposition to Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River. Led by Medha Patkar, it protested against displacement of tribal communities and environmental destruction. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q6. Rainwater harvesting means: [CBSE 2023] [1]
(a) Storing rainwater for reuse
(b) Draining rainwater into rivers
(c) Selling rainwater
(d) Polluting water bodies Ans:
(a) Storing rainwater for future use by collecting it from rooftops, open spaces, and recharging groundwater through pits, trenches, and wells. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q7. Rooftop rainwater harvesting is commonly practised in: [CBSE 2024] [1]
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Shillong, Meghalaya
(c) Mumbai
(d) Both
(a) and
(b) Ans:
(d) Both Rajasthan and Shillong. In Rajasthan, houses have underground tanks (tankas). In Shillong, rooftop harvesting is common due to heavy rainfall. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q8. Which river has the highest number of dams in India? [CBSE 2022] [1]
(a) Ganga
(b) Narmada
(c) Godavari
(d) Krishna Ans:
(b) Narmada. The Narmada valley has numerous dams including the Sardar Sarovar and Indira Sagar, making it the most dammed river in India. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q9. Tankas are traditional water harvesting structures of: [CBSE 2021] [1]
(a) Tamil Nadu
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Meghalaya
(d) Himachal Pradesh Ans:
(b) Rajasthan. Tankas are underground tanks built in houses to store rainwater. They were common in the Great Indian Desert region of western Rajasthan. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q10. Assertion
(a) : Multipurpose projects cause environmental damage. Reason (R): Large dams lead to deforestation and displacement of communities. [CBSE 2024] [1]
(a) Both true and (R) correctly explains
(a)
(b) Both true but (R) does not explain
(a)
(c)
(a) is true but (R) is false
(d)
(a) is false Ans:
(a) Both true and (R) correctly explains
(a) . Dams submerge forests, displace tribal communities, change river ecology, and cause sedimentation problems. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SECTION B : Short Answer Questions (3 Marks Each)

Q11. Why are multipurpose river valley projects called "temples of modern India"? Also mention problems. [CBSE 2023] [3] • Benefits: They provide irrigation, hydroelectricity, flood control, water supply, fisheries, and recreation. Bhakra Nangal transformed agriculture in Punjab-Haryana. • Industrial Growth: Cheap electricity from dams powered industrialisation. They helped India achieve food security through the Green Revolution. • Problems: However, they cause displacement of tribals, submerge forests and farmland, alter river ecology, cause sedimentation, and trigger inter-state water disputes.

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Q12. Describe any three traditional methods of rainwater harvesting in India. [CBSE 2024] [3] • Tankas (Rajasthan): Underground tanks in houses to collect rooftop rainwater. Used for drinking water in arid western Rajasthan for centuries. • Bamboo Drip (Meghalaya): 200-year-old system using bamboo pipes to channel stream water to plantations. Reduces water use through slow drip irrigation. • Guls/Kuls (Himachal): Diversion channels in western Himalayas to carry glacier meltwater to villages for irrigation.

Johads (Rajasthan) are earthen check dams. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q13. Why is water scarcity increasing in India? Give three reasons. [CBSE 2022] [3] • Growing Demand: Population growth, urbanisation, and industrialisation have increased water demand manifold. Agriculture alone consumes 80% of water. • Overexploitation: Groundwater is being pumped faster than recharge. Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan have critically low groundwater levels. • Pollution: Rivers and lakes are polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and agricultural chemicals, making water unfit for use even where available.

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Q14. What are the arguments against multipurpose river valley projects? [CBSE 2021] [3] • Displacement: Millions of tribals and farmers displaced. Rehabilitation is often inadequate. Narmada Bachao Andolan highlighted this issue. • Ecological Damage: Dams submerge forests, kill aquatic life, change river flow patterns, and cause waterlogging and salinity in irrigation areas. • Inter-state Disputes: Multi-purpose projects trigger disputes between states over sharing of water. Krishna-Godavari and Cauvery disputes are ongoing examples.

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Q15. Explain the importance of water conservation and management. [CBSE 2020] [3] • Limited Resource: Only 2.5% of earth's water is fresh, and less than 1% is accessible. With growing population, per capita water availability is declining rapidly. • Groundwater Crisis: India is the largest user of groundwater. Over one-third of wells have dried up due to overexploitation. Urgent conservation is needed. • Methods: Rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, watershed management, reducing wastage, and treating/recycling wastewater can help manage this crisis.

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SECTION C : Long Answer Questions (5 Marks Each)

Q16. "Rainwater harvesting is the need of the hour." Explain with examples from different parts of India. [CBSE 2024] [5] Ans: Rainwater harvesting is essential for water security: • Rajasthan: In the arid region, tankas (underground tanks) collected rooftop rainwater for drinking. Paar system channelled rainwater to recharge wells through sandy soil. • Meghalaya: Bamboo drip irrigation - an ingenious 200-year-old system using bamboo pipes to channel stream water to plantations at the rate of 20-80 drops/minute.

• Tamil Nadu: First state to make rooftop rainwater harvesting mandatory for all buildings. This significantly improved groundwater levels in Chennai. • Himachal Pradesh: Kuls (diversion channels) carry glacier meltwater to villages. In western Himalayas, these centuries-old systems still provide irrigation water. • Modern Relevance: With groundwater depleting and rainfall becoming unpredictable, every building should harvest rainwater. It is the cheapest, simplest, and most sustainable solution.

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Q17. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of multipurpose river valley projects. [CBSE 2023] [5] Ans: Large dams have both benefits and drawbacks: • Irrigation: Dams store water for year-round irrigation, enabling multiple crop seasons. Bhakra Nangal irrigates millions of hectares in Punjab and Haryana. • Electricity: Hydropower is clean, renewable energy. Dams like Hirakud, Damodar Valley, and Tehri generate thousands of megawatts of electricity. • Flood Control: Dams regulate river flow, reducing flood damage downstream. They also provide water for domestic and industrial use in cities.

• Displacement: Millions displaced without adequate rehabilitation. Tribal communities lose ancestral lands, forests, and livelihoods. Social costs are enormous. • Environmental Cost: Reservoirs submerge forests, change river ecology, cause downstream erosion, sedimentation, and waterlogging in command areas. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q18. What is the significance of water as a resource? Why must we conserve it? [CBSE 2022] [5] Ans: Water is the most essential natural resource: • Life Support: Water is essential for all life. Humans need it for drinking, cooking, sanitation, agriculture, and industry. No substitute exists for water. • Agricultural Need: India uses over 80% of freshwater for irrigation. Growing population requires more food, which requires more water for agriculture. • Declining Availability: Per capita water availability has declined due to population growth. Many regions face severe water stress during summers.

• Groundwater Depletion: Over-extraction of groundwater for farming and industry has lowered water tables. Many wells and borewells have dried up permanently. • Conservation: Rainwater harvesting, drip and sprinkler irrigation, wastewater recycling, and watershed management must be adopted urgently to ensure water security. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q19. Describe the Narmada Bachao Andolan and its significance. [CBSE 2021] [5] Ans: The NBA is one of India's most important environmental movements: • Background: The Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada River would submerge 245 villages in MP, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. • Movement: Led by Medha Patkar and others from 1985 onwards. Used non-violent protests, fasts, rallies, and legal challenges to highlight displacement and environmental damage. • Issues Raised: Inadequate rehabilitation of displaced tribals, loss of forests and biodiversity, and questioning the very model of large dam-based development.

• Supreme Court: In 2000, the Supreme Court allowed construction to continue but ordered proper rehabilitation of all affected families before submergence. • Legacy: NBA raised national awareness about the social and environmental costs of large dams. It influenced policy on rehabilitation and environmental impact assessment. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q20. How have traditional water harvesting systems helped Indian communities? Explain with examples. [CBSE 2020] [5] Ans: Traditional systems demonstrate indigenous wisdom: • Tankas (Rajasthan): Underground cylindrical tanks collected rainwater from rooftops. Provided clean drinking water through the dry season. Some tankas were beautifully decorated. • Khadins (Jaisalmer): Long earthen embankments built across slopes to trap rainwater and allow it to percolate into soil, creating moist farmland for crops.

• Johads (Alwar, Rajasthan): Earthen check dams revived by Rajendra Singh. These recharged groundwater, revived dried rivers, and restored green cover in 1000+ villages. • Eris (Tamil Nadu): Temple tanks served as rainwater storage. Managed by village committees, they provided irrigation and recharged wells. • Modern Lesson: These low-cost, community-managed systems are often more sustainable than large dams. They should be revived alongside modern technology for water security. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ --- End of Chapter 3 PYQ ---