WATER RESOURCES
MULTIPLE
CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Which of the following data shows the percentage of global
precipitation that is received by India?
(a) 96.5 per cent (b) 30 per cent
(c) 4 per cent (d)
2.5 per cent
2. Which of the following areas would you immediately associate with
water scarcity?
(a) Deserts of Rajasthan
(b) The Ganga Plains
(c) Hills of North-Eastern India
(d) Coastal areas of Orissa
3. Which of the following is a reason for water scarcity in a region
with sufficient water to meet the requirements of the people?
(a) Huge population (b) Less rainfall
(c) Power requirement(d) Pollution
4. Which of the following contributes approximately 22 per cent of the
total electricity produced in India today?
(a) Solar power (b) Hydroelectric power
(c) Industries (d) Geothermal energy
5. Which of the following problems arises due to water pollution?
(a) Sedimentation of water bodies
(b) Water-borne diseases
(c) Discharge of industrial waste
(d) Spawning of aquatic life
6. Which of the following hydraulic structures is not a feature of
ancient times?
(a) Multipurpose river valley projects
(b) Dams built of stone rubble
(c) Reservoirs or lakes
(d) Embankments and canals
7. Which of the following is one of the largest artificial lakes of
ancient India built in the 11th century?
(a) Govindsagar Lake (b) Hauz Khas
(c) Bhopal lake (d) Dal Lake
8. Which of the following hydraulic structures was constructed by
Iltutmish in the 14th century for supplying water to Siri Fort area?
(a) Water harvesting at Sringaverapura near Allahabad
(b) Bhopal Lake
(c) Tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi
(d) Irrigation work at Nagarjunakonda
9. Which of the following hydraulic structures is built in river basins?
(a) Lakes (b) Dams
(c) Tanks (d) Water harvesting
10. In which of the following areas can you find one of the oldest
water-harvesting systems of India?
(a) Sringaverapura near Allahabad
(b) Kalinga, Orissa (c) Bennur, Karnataka
(d) Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh
11. For which of the following purposes were dams traditionally built?
(a) For generating electricity
(b) For supplying water to industries
(c) For flood control
(d) To impound river and rain water for irrigation
12. Which of the following multipurpose projects is found in the
Satluj-Beas river basin?
(a) Hirakud Project
(b) Damodar Valley Corporation
(c) Bhakra Nangal Project
(d) Rihand Project
13. On which of the following rivers is the Hirakud dam constructed?
(a) Satluj (b) Beas
(c) Mahanadi (d) Narmada
14. Which of the following is the main objective of the Bhakra-Nangal
Project of Punjab and Haryana?
(a) Hydel power production and irrigation
(b) Flood control (c) Inland navigation
(d) Pisciculture
15. On which of the following issues did the Narmada Bachao Andolan
first focus?
(a) Benefits of irrigation to landless farmers
(b) Environmental issues related to submergence of trees under the dam water
(c) Rehabilitation of the people displaced due to construction of the dam
(d) Economic issues of wastage of money for the construction of the dam
16. In which of the following areas were farmers agitated when higher
priority was given to water supply in urban areas, particularly during drought?
(a) Krishna-Godavari basin
(b) Koyna basin, Maharashtra
(c) Sabarmati basin, Gujarat
(d) Rihand basin, Uttar Pradesh
17. Which of the following state governments have raised the
Krishna-Godavari dispute?
(a) Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
(b) Gujarat and Rajasthan
(c) Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
(d) Karnataka and Maharashtra
18. On which of the following rivers are the Tilaiya, Panchet, Maithon,
Konar and Bokaro dams located?
(a) Satluj (b) Damodar
(c) Mahanadi (d)
Krishna
19. Which of the following river projects or groups of river projects
provide hydroelectricity to the industries of Maharashtra?
(a) Pravara Project and Koyna Project
(b) Hirakud Project
(c) Nagarjuna Sagar Project and Tungabhadra Project
(d) Ghatprabha Project and Mettur Project
20. Which of the following dams are part of Chambal Project?
(a) Maithon, Panchet, Tilaiya, Konar, Bokaro
(b) Pravara, Ramagundam
(c) Rana Pratap Sagar, Gandhi Sagar
(d) Sardar Sarovar Dam
21. Ironically, the dams that were constructed to control floods have
triggered floods. Which of the following reasons is responsible for it?
(a) Irrigation of surrounding area
(b) Generation of hydroelectricity
(c) Sedimentation in the reservoir
(d) Pisciculture in the reservoir
22. Which of the following environmental damages are not induced due to
multipurpose projects?
(a) Water-borne diseases and pests
(b) Pollution resulting from excessive use of water
(c) Earthquakes (d) Volcanic activity
23. In which of the following groups of cities is rain havoc a common
headline in newspaper?
(a) Mumbai and Kolkata
(b) Delhi and Chandigarh
(c) Jaipur and Bhopal
(d) All the above
24. In which of the following areas are ‘guls’ and ‘kuls’ used to
channel water for agriculture?
(a) Deccan Plateau
(b) Deserts of Rajasthan
(c) Western Himalayas (d) Ganga Plains
25. Due to which of the following reasons are rooftop rainwater
harvesting commonly practised, particularly in Rajasthan?
(a) To store water for irrigation
(b) To keep the house cool
(c) To store drinking water
(d) To clean the rooftops
26. Which of the following structures are known as ‘tankas’?
(a) Underground tanks for storing rainwater harvested from roof tops for
drinking purpose
(b) Tanks constructed on rooftops for storing rainwater
(c) Tanks constructed in agricultural fields to store rainwater
(d) Tanks
constructed to store floodwater
QUESTIONS
FROM CBSE EXAMINATION PAPERS
1. Sardar Sarovar Dam is constructed on :
(a) River Krishna (b) River Mahanadi
(c) River Cauvery (d) River Narmada
2. Bamboo drip irrigation is prevelant in which of the following state?
(a) Rajastahan (b) Meghalaya
(c) Karnataka (d) Madhya Pradesh
3. Who among the following proclaimed dams as the temple of modern
India?
(a) Rajendra Prasad (b) Jawaharlal Nehru
(c) Sardar Patel (d) Mahatma Gandhi
4. Rooftap rainwater harvesting system in Rajasthan in known as :
(a) Guls (b) Kuls
(c) Tankas (d) Baolis
5. Which one of the following is not an adverse effect of dams?
(a) Interstate water disputes
(b) Excessive sedimentation of reservoir
(c) Displacement of population
(d) Flood control
6. Which of the following is not a method of water harvesting used in
Rajasthan?
(a) Johads (b) Khadins
(c) Guls (d) Tankas
7. Against the construction of which one of the following multipurpose
projects was the Narmada Bachao Andolan launched?
(a) Sardar Sarovar (b) Bhakra Nangal
(c) Rihand (d) Tehri
8. Tankas is rain water harvesting technique associated with which of
the following states:
(a) Tamil Nadu (b) West Himalayas
(c) Gujarat (d) Rajasthan
9. Which of the following is not one of the reasons for criticism of
multipurpose river valley projects?
(a) They create a rockier stream bed
(b) They create poorer habitats for the river’s acquatic life
(c) The reservoirs created in the floodplain submerge vegetation
(d) They help in generation of hydroelectricity
10. Large scale irrigation has led to :
(i) Changed cropping pattern in many regions
(ii) Increased salinisation of soil
(iii) Average reduction in crop production
(iv) Increasing gap between the rich and the poor farmers
(a) i, ii, iii (b) i, iii, iv
(c) i, ii, iv (d) i, iv, iii
11. How much of the earth surface is covered with water?
(a) About 1/4 (b) About 1/2
(c) About 3/4 (d) About 2/3
12. On which one of the following rivers the Tehri Dam is being
constructed?
(a) Bhagirathi (b) Yamuna
(c) Koshi (d) Sutlej
13. Which of the following rivers is not having any multipurpose river
project?
(a) Satluj-Beas (b) Mahanadi
(c) Narmada (d) Yamuna
14. On which one of the following rivers Mettur dam is constructed?
(a) River Kaveri (b) River Krishna
(c) River Godavari (d) River Mahanadi
15. What is the contribution of hydroelectricity in the total generation
of electricity?
(a) 52% (b) 42% (c) 32% (d) 22%
16. How much percent of the total volume of world’s water is estimated
to exist as fresh water?
(a) 2.5 (b) 3.5 (c) 4.5 (d) 5.5
17. Which of the following is a source of fresh water?
(a) Precipitation (b) Surface runoff
(c) Groundwater (d) All the above
18. In which of the following regions, people built ‘Guls’ and ‘Kuls’
for irrigation?
(a) Northern plains (b) Western Himalayas
(c) Coastal areas (d) None of the above
19. Hirakud dam is built on which river?
(a) Chenab (b) Mahanadi
(c) Krishna (d) Satluj
20. In which one of the following states was Rooftop rainwater
harvesting practised?
(a) West Bengal (b) Haryana
(c) Rajasthan (d) Punjab
21. Salal Dam is built on which river?
(a) Chenab (b) Mahanadi
(c) Krishna (d) Satluj
22. Which one of the folllowing techniques is adopted to harvest
rainwater in hilly and mountainous regions?
(a) Johads
(b) Inundation channels
(c) Khadins (d) Guls or Kuls
23. Nagarjuna Sager Dam is built on which river?
(a) Chenab (b) Mahanadi
(c) Krishna (d) Satluj
24. According to Falken Mark, a Swedish expert, water stress occurs when
water availability is between
(a) 1000 to 1200 cubic meter per person / year
(b) 1000 to 1050 cubic meter per person / year
(c) 600 to 900 cubic meter per person / year
(d) 1000 to 1600 cubic meter per person / year
25. In which one of the following states polar pani is considered the
purest form of natural water?
(a) Gujarat (b) Rajasthan
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Chhattisgarh
SHORT
ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1.
Why has the water shortage problem aggravated in
post-independence India?
2.
Why should we conserve and manage our water
resources? How can we control over-exploitation and mismanagement of water
resources? State any two points that should be kept in mind for efficient
management of water.
3.
What are ‘dams’? Classify dams.
4.
Mention a negative effect of irrigation? How can
irrigation transform the social landscape?
5.
Give examples of traditional water harvesting
system prevalent in various parts of India.
6.
What is the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’? Why was it
organised? What are the issues raised by this movement?
QUESTIONS
FROM CBSE EXAMINATION PAPERS
1.
Write three advantage of multipurpose river valley
projects?
2.
What is rainwater harvesting? Explain any two
different methods of rainwater harvesting in different regions of India?
3.
What is a multipurpose river valley project? Give
any four objectives of the multipurpose river valley project.
4.
Discuss how rainwater havesting in semi-arid
regions or Rajasthan is carried out.
5.
Describe three traditional methods of rain water
harvesting practiced in India.
6.
Give three reasons for water scarcity in post
independence India.
7.
‘Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered
with water but there is still scarcity of water across the globe.’ Explain
giving three reasons.
8.
What objections have been raised against
multipurpose river valley projects?
9.
How have industrialisation and urbanization
aggravated water scarcity in India?
10.
What is meant by water scarcity? Give any two
causes of water scarcity.
11.
Why are multipurpose projects facing resistance?
Explain with three reasons.
12.
Why is the conservation and management of water
resources important? Give any three reasons.
13.
Explain any three disadavantages of multipurpose
projects.
14.
What is meant by multipurpose projects? Name any
two multipurpose projects and the rivers on which they are built.
15.
Why are different water harvesting systems
considered a viable alternative both socioeconomically and environmentally in a
country like India?
16.
Explain any three advantages and disadvantages
each of the multipurpose river valley projects.
17.
Why have multipurpose projects and dams come under
great scrutiny and opposition in recent years? Mention any two social movements
associated with these dams.
18.
Why did Jawaharlal Nehru proudly proclaim the dams
as the ‘temples of modern India’? Mention any four advantages of the dams.
19.
Do you agree that the need of the hour is to
conserve and manage our water resources? Justify your answer with any three
suitable arguments.
20.
How far have the multipurpose projects been able
to achieve their purpose for which they were made? Explain.
21.
How do multipurpose projects help in the economy
of a nation? Give suitable examples and explain.
22.
‘Scarcity of water is a threat to life.’ Mention
any three points to support this statement.
23.
Why is the construction of multipurpose projects
and large dams opposed by many people?
LONG
ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1.
Multipurpose river projects are referred as the
‘temples of modern India.’ Elucidate.
2.
In recent years, multipurpose projects and large
dams have come under great scrutiny and opposition. Explain why.
3.
What are interstate water disputes? Why are such
issues raised? Give examples of inter-state water disputes.
4.
Write about the rooftop rainwater harvesting
system prevalent in Meghalaya. How is the bamboo drip irrigation system employed
for water harvesting in Meghalaya?
5.
An area or region may have ample water resources
but still face water scarcity. Explain why such circumstances arise.
6.
Identify the reasons (any three) for water
scarcity specially, in metropolitan towns. Suggest one measure that in your
opinion can lead to a more equitable distribution of available water supply.
7.
Water is available in abundance in India; even
then scarcity of water is experienced in major parts of the country. Explain
with four examples.
8.
How have intensive industrialisation and
urbanisation passed a great pressure on existing fresh water resources in India?
Explain with two examples for each.
MAP WORK
1. On an outline map of India, mark and label the following :
(a) The river on which the Sardar Sarovar Dam is being built.
(b) The river on which the Hirakud Dam is built.
(c) The river on which the Bhakra Nangal Project is built.
(d) A river known as ‘River of Sorrow’ in Jharkhand and West Bengal.
(e) A tributary of R. Krishna on which there is a multipurpose project.
(f) A tributary of R. Godavari on which there is a multipurpose project.
2. On an outline map of India, mark and label the following Multipurpose
Projects :
(a) Bhakra Nangal Project
(b) Salal Project
(c) Damodar Valley Corporation
(d) Nagarjuna Sagar Project
(e) Rihand dam (f) Kosi Project
3. Identify the following and mark and label them on an outline map of
India.
(a) A famous canal in northwest India
(b) A dam leading to Krishna-Godavari dispute
(c) A dam on river Kaveri in Tamil Nadu
(d) A dam in Uttarakhand that led to agitation and social movement
(e) A dam on the R. Chambal in Madhya Pradesh
(f) A dam located in
West Bengal.