NIOS Class 12 Geography Chapter 16 Water Resources

NIOS Class 12 Geography Chapter 16 Water Resources Solutions English Medium As Per New Syllabus to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse throughout different chapters NIOS Class 12 Geography Chapter 16 Water Resources Notes and select need one. NIOS Class 12 Geography Chapter 16 Water Resources Question Answers Download PDF. NIOS Study Material of Class 12 Geography Paper Code 316.

NIOS Class 12 Geography Chapter 16 Water Resources

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Water Resources

Chapter: 16

MODULE – 7: Natural resources, Utilisation and Management

INTEXT QUESTIONS 16.1 

1. What is the ranking of India in the World in terms of irrigated area.

Ans: First.

2. The surface water storage capacity of which river basin is maximum in India? 

Ans: Ganga.

3. Name 5 states of India where underground water is used on a large scale.

Ans: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Gujrat, UP. (Any Five)

INTEXT QUESTIONS 16.2 

1. What are the various means of irrigation in India? 

Ans: Wells and tube wells, Canals, Tanks.

2. Name the states where irrigation is done mainly by tanks? 

Ans: Tamilnadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, Karnataka etc.

3. Give reasons for the increase in demand for irrigation.

Ans: Regional and seasonal variations in rain, growing demand for commercial crops etc

INTEXT QUESTIONS 16.3 

1. Why do we need to harvest rainwater? 

Ans: Scarcity of Surface water, dependence on underground water, increasing urbanisation.

2. Name any two methods of rain water harvesting. 

Ans: (i) Construction of Potholes

(ii) Construction of trenches.

3. How is water being conserved and channels recharged in Ufrakhal, Uttarakhand?

Ans: Water pits.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 16.4 

1. Mention any four problems related to water resources. 

Ans: (a) Increasing demand of water for urbanisation.

(b) Pollution.

(c) Demand for economic activity.

(d) Scarcity due to global change.

2. What is the main objective of the National Water Policy? 

Ans: To take cognizance of the existing situation of a country’s water resources.

3. What are the challenges in interlinking rivers? Any two.

Ans: (i) Project Feasibility.

(ii) Environmental impact.

TERMINAL QUESTIONS:

1. Answer the following questions in brief:

(i) What is the meaning of water resources? 

Ans: Water is one of the basic resources for human beings as well as all other life forms on earth. It is available in abundance covering 3/4 of the earth, yet it is a scarce resource; and the fact is that only 3 % is potable.

(ii) Mention the main sources of surface water. 

Ans: The large part of surface water is found in rivers, rivulets, ponds, and lakes.

(iii) Why is more underground water available in the northern great plains of the country? 

Ans: In the areas of high rainfall where the land is almost flat and has porous rocks, the water easily percolates and reaches the aquifers. Therefore, underground water is available in plenty at shallow depths in these areas. There are large reserves of underground water in the plains of Ganga – Brahmaputra.

(iv) State the meaning of rain water harvesting. 

Ans: Rain water harvesting generally means collection of rainwater where it falls. Where there is shortage of water, groundwater can be recharged by harvesting rainwater. In this process, water is made to go underground after collecting rain water locally, without polluting the same.

(v) Explain the meaning of watershed. 

Ans: Watershed is defined as an area where the runoff resulting from rainfall is collected and drained out through a common point. Watersheds are composed of a number of streams and creeks that drain into progressively larger streams to eventually form a river.

(vi) What are the benefits of the National River Linking Programme?

Ans: (a) The irrigation of about 250 lakh hectare additional agricultural area is possible by surface water after the success of this programme.

(b) Underground water will be available to irrigate additional agricultural areas of about 100 lakh hectares.

(c) Additional hydro-electricity of about 340 lakh kilowatt will be generated.

(d) Besides these benefits, many other benefits like flood control, water transport, water supply, fishing, removal of acidity from the soil and control on water pollution will also be achieved.

2. Differentiate among the following:

(a) Surface water and underground water.

Ans: Surface Water: Water found on the surface is called surface water. The main source of surface water is precipitation. A part of the running water goes underground. The large part of surface water is found in rivers, rivulets, ponds, and lakes.

Underground Water: Rain water percolates into the earth’s surface and becomes underground water. The process of percolation also takes place from the surface water. Large amount of water gets collected under the Earth’s surface by these two methods. This is called underground water.

(b) Rain water harvesting and watershed development.

Ans: Rain water harvesting: Generally means collection of rainwater where it falls. In this process, water is made to go underground after collecting rain water locally, without polluting the same.

Watershed development: Watershed is defined as an area where the runoff resulting from rainfall is collected and drained out through a common point. By growing forests in the upper reaches of the watershed, the water flow through streams slows down, groundwater gets recharged and soil erosion gets reduced. Therefore, small watersheds are the ideal units to manage the natural resources like land, soil, water, forest etc.