Class 12 Geography Chapter 23 Assam Geography The answer to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse throughout different chapters SCERT Class 12 Geography Chapter 23 Assam Geography and select need one.
Class 12 Geography Chapter 23 Assam Geography
Also, you can read the SCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per SCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines. These solutions are part of SCERT All Subject Solutions. Here we have given Assam Board/NCERT Class 12 Geography Chapter 23 Assam Geography Solutions for All Subject, You can practice these here…
AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY OF ASSAM
Q.1. Why is agriculture in Assam mostly seasonal?
Ans :- Agriculture in Assam is mostly seasonal because Assam is the state where the farmers still depend upon the erratic monsoons for water to carry on their agricultural activities. Also the farmers of the state give special emphasis on the cultivation of rice, the most dominant crop in the state in terms of both percentage and productivity.
It is disheartening to note that the gross irrigated area in Assam constitutes only 15.06 of the state’s gross cropped area. It is worth mentioning that about 3.5-4.0 lakh hectare of land in the state are annually affected by floods and the standing kharif crops (rice) are usually damaged by floods. Under such circumstances the only alternative left for the farmer of the flood-prone area is to take up rabi cropping in order to compensate the loss caused by flood during the summer. Extensive rabi cropping, however not economically viable because of inadequate supply of irrigation.
Q.2. Why is the tea in Upper Assam more flourished?
Ans :- Tea is more flourished in the upper Assam because the different conditions for growing of tea are mostly favourable in this part of Assam The yield per hectare and quality mainly depend upon climate soil. spography, plucking practice etc. Besides, the cost of production is also influenced by some other factors like labour, adoption of Modern Tea culture technique etc.
It requires a high amount of water which should not be standing. This part of Assam provides sloping hills with enough rain water for its growth. Large labour group is also available in the upper part of Assam which is also helping for the flourishing of the Tea industry.
Q.3. Why is the Jute in lower Assam grown more?
Ans :- Jute is mostly grown in the lower part of Assam because of the adequate conditions for the growth of jute plants.
Jute requires large amounts of water from its starting up to the harvesting time which is available throughout its growing season from the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Extension of its cultivation to the lower part of Assam was a direct impact of large scale immigration of peasants from the neighbouring over crowded districts of Mymensingh, Rangpur of Bangladesh.
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Q.4. Types of agriculture in Assam.
Ans :- Two types of farming have been in practice in Assam – small scale peasant and large scale tea plantation farming. Between the two the peasant farming is more important in the sense that it alone contributes slightly less than half of the state’s domestic product. Moreover, while it covers 65% of the state’s total working people. The tea plantation shares less than 10%. Besides the peasants farming is more problem ridden and emigrated, then the tea plantation. As the mode of production management and the nature of problems of plantation farming are quite different from those of the wide space cum people covering peasant farming.
Q.5. Crop production in Assam.
Ans :- Of the crops raised, food crops are by far the most important in Assam. It is found that the food crops occupy 71% of the total cropped area. Of the food crops again, rice, which farms the staple food of the people of the region, is the most important and occupies about 64.82% of the cropped area. Next to rice come pulses followed by maize.
Among the food crops has the highest demand in Assam as it is the staple food crop of the people of Assam. Presently the foremost challenge before the state is the appalling increase in population and a corresponding upsurge in the demand for food. The state would be able to meet this challenge only through properly sustainable agricultural development programmes
In 2000-2001, the total area under food crops in Assam was 2858 thousand hectares and production of food crops was 4167 thousand tonnes. Yield per hectares was 1290 kg.
In 2001-2002 total production of rice was 3854 thousand tonnes, total cerçals 3957 thousand tonnes and total pulses was 66 thousand tonnes.
Q.7. Rice cultivation in Assam.
Ans :- Rice is the most important food crop of Assam. It is grown both in the plains and in the hills. It is said that China and SouthEast Asia, is the original homeland of rice.
Depending on the season of cultivation, the rice grown in Assam can be divided into three varieties-
(a) Amon or Sali
(b) Aus or Ahu
(c) Bao
The Amon rice is transplanted in summer from late may to september in the wet field and harvested in the period from late November to early January.
Aus or Ahu rice is broadcast in the months of March and April in dry fields and harvested in the summer
The Bao rice is essentially a variety of long stemmed rice that can withstand a long period of deep and stagnant water. Its seeds are broadcast in the spring season when the ground remains dry and it is harvested in winter when the water that accumulates over the ground in summer has dried up.
Besides these three varieties another variety, known as ‘Boro’ is grown in the low lying area of Assam. It is transplanted in the months of December and January in the low lying areas where water level goes down to a few centimeters by this season. It is a quiet variety and can be harvested in April and May before the water level rises.
Q.8. Tea cultivation in Assam.
Ans :- Tea plants used to grow naturally in the upper Brahmaputra Valley and its adjoining Arunachal foothills. In fact Robert Bruce, an official of the British empire, who is credited with the discovery of tea in Assam in 1823, only saw the Singphos drinking tea.
The drink was locally known as Final and Fanap Between 1836 and 1838 the potentiality of tea plantation could be proved beyond doubt and in 1839 a private British entrepreneur started a tea garden near chabua in the present Dibrugarh district. In 1840, a group of British planters formed the Assam company at Nazira for commercial plantation of tea at a large scale.
At the initial stage, the companies faced a labour shortage as the local people did not come forward to work in the tea gardens. However, that problem was overcome by bringing in labourers from Chotanagpur and surrounding region In 1850, there was only one tea estate covering an area of 809 hectare with 99 thousand kg production. In 1900 the number of tea estates was 804 while in 1950 it became 999. In 1900, the production was 14012 thousand kg while in 1950, it became 1,52.459 thousand kg and iti 2001 rose upto 4,50.132 thousand kg.
Q.9. Sugarcane production in Assam.
Ans :- Sugarcane has been grown in Assam since long. In the historic past also the people of the state knew the art of producing various types of molasses from sugarcane.
Sugarcane is a traditional crop of Assam. It is growing relatively high and fertile flat or rolling ground. Very heavy rainfall and flooding often limits its growth. However, the crop is grown over about 30,000 hectares of land in the state.
Assam has favourable physical condition for sugarcane cultivation. In 1991-92, Assam produced about 1522.0 metric tonnes of sugarcane over 35.8 thousand hectares of land. The yield per hectare according to 1970-71 was 37217 kg, in 1990-91 it was 42514 kg and in 2005-2004 it was 38589 kg.
Q.10. Fruit production in Assam.
Ans :- A number of fruit is produced in Assam. But out of all, Banana is an important fruit of Assam. It is grown as an orchard crop in the compound of almost every homestead in the plains of foothills. There are many varieties of banana in Assam. Although almost all the plains districts of the state produce bananas, Goalpara and kamrup districts are leading producers of good varieties of Banana. The area of west Chaygaon in the South bank of Kamrup district upto Agia of Goalpara district and the adjoining Garo foothills is traditionally famous for a variety of banana called “malbhog’ which is highly priced.
In fact Dhupdhara and Darang giri are very important centres of banana collection and distribution. Every day, scores of truckloads of bananas move out from these two centres to different parts of Assam, Northern West Bengal, Eastern Bihar, Nepal. In 1990-91 Assam produced 444,000 tonnes of Banana and the whole of North East India produced 552,960 tonnes.
Q.11. Tea industry in Assam.
Ans :- The tea industry of Assam is the largest export-oriented sector and biggest foreign exchange earner employing about 5.5 lakh workers.
Assam occupies a prominent position in the tea industry. It accounted for 35.1% of the total area and 53.9% of the total production of tea in India. In Assam, the tea industry was the first capitalist enterprise introduced by British in the early part of the 19th century.
There was a tremendous growth of the tea industry during the last three decades of the 19th century. The total amount of capital invested in the industry increased from Rs 5 million or even less than that in 1872 to an estimated Rs.210 million by 1903.
The ownership pattern of the tea industry of Assam has undergone basic changes since 1947. A large chunk of the capital invested in the tea industry has passed from British to Indian hands. The formation of Assam Tea Corporation Ltd. in 1972 is an important landmark in the history of the tea industry of Assam.
Q.12. Silk industry of Assam.
Ans :- Sericulture is an old tradition of Assam. Assam produces 3 types of silk i.e. pat, muga and Eri.
Pat worms are fed on the leaves of mulberry or Sowelu, Muga worms fed or soma and Eri worm fed on Era and Kesheru.
Pat or pure silk industry is essentially confined to Assam. Assam produces about 10% of total national silk of India. Production of pat palu is done by a member of tribes of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh. Sibsagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Nagaon, Darrang, Goalpara. It is one of the most important college industries. Karbi Anglong has opened 20 and N.C. hills 13 mulberry gardens for raising silkworm. In 1985-86 the two districts produced about 500 kg of Natural silk. Assam in 1991-92 had 1763-92 hectare of land under mulberry and it produced 1.97 lakh silk cocoons.
Muga, the golden silk is produced mainly in Assam. Assam produced 4.995 lakh muga cocoon in 1991-92. In Assam Muga cocoons are produced in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jothat, Golaghat and Santipur.Sualkuchi of Kamrup district is famous for its silk industry.
Eri is produced in Assam in the year 1991-92 which is about 4.995 lakh kg oferi cocoon. The food plant of eri worm is a castor plant which is commonly growing in Brahmaputra valley and in Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills. There is also an endi production centre at Uparhali in South Kamrup plain.
Q.13. Jute industry in Assam
Ans :- Jute milling is an agro-based industry Assam provides suitable agro-climatic conditions for the cultivation of jute In jute production, Assum occupied second position Its production in 1992-93 was 10.3 lakh bales. (I bale = 180 kg). Jute cultivation in the state is mainly concentrated in Nagaon, Morigaon, Darrang, Barpeta, Kamrup, Nalbari district which covers an area of about I lakh hectares.
The first jute mill in the state was established under the cooperative sector in 1970 at Silghat in Nagaon district with 100 looms for the production of sacks and 50 looms for sessions. Two major jute mills in the private sector were established in the state.
Q.14. Bamboo and cane industry of Assam.
Ans :- Bamboo and cane work is another important cottage industry of the whole of Assam. Household gadgets such as containers of various shapes and sizes, big and small round plate-like structures for drying grains, sieves, winnows, various fishing devices etc, are made of bamboo and cane at home for domestic use. Various agriculture implements are also made at home with bamboo and cane. Wicker hats (Japi) are made of bamboo and the leaf of a palm tree. Vamous sorts of bags for carrying domestic necessities are made of bamboo and cane, especially in the hills Different items of the furniture industry have also been declining in the face of competition from cheap plastic goods on the one hand and having scarcity of bamboo, cane and wood on the other hand. The state government through the agencies like khadi Board, Small Industries
Development corporation, DistrIct Rural Development Authority etc. have been giving impetens to this industry and some artisan have, in recent years, engaged themselves in production of decorative items and furniture of bamboo, cane, wood, leaves etc.
Q.15. Oil industry in Assam
Ans :- Oil is known as the liquid gold of Assam Its Existence in upper Assam was recorded as farbuck as 1825 Oil and Petroleum fields in Assam are concentrated in several places of Dibrugarh. Tinsukia, Sibsagar and Jorhat.
The first oil-refinery was set up at Digboi in 1901 by the Assam Railway and Trading company. During 1952-54 new oil fields were discovered at Naharkatia, Hugrijan and Moran, near the Digboi fields. To process the newly found crude oil, the second refinery in Assam was set up in 1962 at Noonmati in the public sector.
The third refinery and petrochemical complex was set up at Bongaigaon in 1979 The fourth one is also being constructed at Numaligarh of Golaghat district with a capacity of 3 million tonnes.
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