Chapter 3: Water Resources Short Questions | geography Class 10 CBSE

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Chapter 3: Water Resources Short Questions | geography Class 10 CBSE | ByteNotes.in

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Question 1

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What is the hydrological cycle and how does it make water a renewable resource?

The hydrological cycle is the continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere through processes like evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
All water moves within this cycle, ensuring that surface run-off and groundwater are continually renewed and recharged.
Because of this unceasing renewal through the hydrological cycle, water is classified as a renewable resource.

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Question 2

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State two main sources from which freshwater is obtained.

Freshwater is mainly obtained from surface run-off, which includes rivers, streams, and lakes fed by precipitation.
It is also obtained from groundwater, which is replenished through the percolation of rainwater into the soil.
Both sources are continuously recharged through the hydrological cycle, making them renewable but finite in practical terms.

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Question 3

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Why is water scarcity not solely caused by low rainfall?

Water scarcity is also caused by over-exploitation, excessive use, and unequal access to water among different social groups.
Even regions with high rainfall may face scarcity due to a large and growing population demanding more water for domestic use and agriculture.
Water pollution from industrial wastes, pesticides, and fertilisers can render ample water hazardous, creating qualitative scarcity even where water is quantitatively sufficient.

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Question 4

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How does a growing population contribute to water scarcity?

A large population requires more water not only for domestic needs like drinking, cooking, and sanitation but also to produce more food.
To ensure higher food-grain production, water resources are over-exploited to expand irrigated areas, particularly for dry-season agriculture.
Irrigated agriculture is the largest consumer of water, and expanding it without sustainable management depletes both surface and groundwater resources.

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Question 5

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In what ways do industries worsen the problem of freshwater availability?

Industries are heavy users of water, consuming large quantities for manufacturing and processing, which puts enormous pressure on existing freshwater resources.
Industries require power, much of which comes from hydroelectric sources, indirectly increasing dependency on water.
Industrial effluents and wastes pollute rivers and groundwater, reducing the quality and quantity of usable freshwater.

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Question 6

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What is a dam? How are dams classified?

A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs, or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake, or impoundment.
Based on structure and materials used, dams are classified as timber dams, embankment dams, or masonry dams.
According to height, dams are categorised as low dams, medium-height dams, and high dams, or alternatively as large dams and major dams.

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Question 7

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Why are modern dams referred to as multi-purpose projects?

Modern dams are built not just for irrigation but also for electricity generation, domestic and industrial water supply, and flood control.
They also serve purposes such as recreation, inland navigation, and fish breeding, integrating multiple uses of impounded water.
Because the many uses of stored water are combined and managed together, these projects are called multi-purpose projects.

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Question 8

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Name two multi-purpose river projects in India and state one function of each.

The Bhakra-Nangal project on the Sutluj-Beas river basin is used for both hydel power production and irrigation.
The Hirakud project on the Mahanadi river in Odisha integrates conservation of water with flood control.
These projects demonstrate how dams serve integrated roles by combining water storage with energy generation and disaster mitigation.

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Question 9

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Why did Jawaharlal Nehru call dams the 'temples of modern India'?

Nehru believed multi-purpose dams would integrate the development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialisation and urban growth.
He saw these projects as powerful tools to overcome the economic disadvantages left by colonial rule and achieve national self-sufficiency.
Just as temples symbolise faith and transformation, dams represented for Nehru the nation's faith in modern science and collective progress.

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Question 10

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How does sedimentation in reservoirs cause problems for rivers and farmland?

Excessive sedimentation at the bottom of reservoirs results in rockier stream beds and poorer aquatic habitats, harming river biodiversity.
Sedimentation reduces reservoir storage capacity and has paradoxically caused floods by limiting the dam's ability to hold excess water.
Flood plains are deprived of silt — a natural fertiliser — as dams trap sediment, leading to land degradation and reduced agricultural fertility downstream.

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Chapter 3: Water Resources | Short Questions

What is the hydrological cycle and how does it make water a renewable resource?

State two main sources from which freshwater is obtained.

Why is water scarcity not solely caused by low rainfall?

How does a growing population contribute to water scarcity?

In what ways do industries worsen the problem of freshwater availability?

What is a dam? How are dams classified?

Why are modern dams referred to as multi-purpose projects?

Name two multi-purpose river projects in India and state one function of each.

Why did Jawaharlal Nehru call dams the 'temples of modern India'?

How does sedimentation in reservoirs cause problems for rivers and farmland?

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