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1. Discuss the feasibility of using methane as a source of energy and fuel in India. How can it contribute
to socio-economic development and environmental protection?
Approach:
Evaluate feasibility of the parameters of availability, cost, technology required, alternatives available,
etc.
In the second section, clearly delineate the potential of methane usage in helping socio-economic
development and environmental protection.
Answer:
Methane as a source of energy is less polluting and more efficient than conventional fossil fuels. The
feasibility of using Methane as a fuel for transportation or generating power or in industrial processes
(e.g. fertilizer) depends upon the following factors:
Availability: India has atleast 38 tcf of proven Natural gas reserves. Besides, there are still many
sedimentary basins that have not been explored. Currently India meets most of the requirement
from imports.
Technology: Methane can be extracted from natural sources as well as anthropogenic activities. With
current available technology, it is very difficult to capture Methane from Oceans, termites and
wetlands; however, it is possible to extract methane from landfills, agriculture waste and coal bed
methane. Obtaining shale gas through fracking is still costly in India.
Accessibility: In India, coal bed methane and landfills are considered as potential reserves of
methane. . However, the use of landfills has practical challenges like:
o Direct exposure to methane gas and seasonal changes in temperature etc.
o A lack of local service and technology providers for methane identification, quantification, and
mitigation activities.
o There are legal and regulatory issues in obtaining access to the electricity grid to sell back power.
Affordability: Many coal mines do not have adequate internal investment capital for project funding,
and thus a lack of adequate financing remains an important challenge.
Alternatives: Decline in energy cost from non-conventional sources of energy, such as solar, wind,
etc. pose a stiff competition to use of methane. Also, with a prolonged suppression of oil prices,
competitiveness of natural gas is being eroded.
Contribution in Socio and Economic development and environment protection
Social:
Methane provides a valuable, clean energy source that can improve the quality of life, especially of
rural women who otherwise use natural fuels for cooking causing health hazard. Access to energy is
sine-qua-non for standard of living. Methane, which can be transported through pipelines can
provide 24x7 access to remote areas once the infrastructure is developed.
By linking communities with innovative ways to deal with the waste it can help in better waste
management and responsible community planning.
2. What do you understand by seasonal shifting of pressure belts? What impact does it have on the
formation of various climatic regions across the globe? Discuss its socio-economic significance.
Approach:
To start with, directly explain shifting of pressure belts and its cause.
Link various climatic phenomena with associated regions which are influenced by shift of the belts.
Discuss socio-economic significance through their impact on livelihood.
Answer:
Pressure belts on earth's surface appear to move along with the Sun. This is because of inclination of
earth to its axis. With the apparent shift of the Sun between the tropics, both the thermally formed
pressure belt (EQLP) and the dynamically formed pressure belt (STHP - North and South) move along.
For example, in summers, when Sun is directly above tropics, rather than at equator, the entire belt
system (EQLP and STHP) shifts northwards. As such, the High Pressure belt which is generally found at
25-30 degrees latitude also shifts northwards to up to 30-35 degrees. Similarly the Equatorial low also
shifts upwards, varying considerably over the landmass and the ocean. On the Indian landmass, it can
reach up to 20-22 degrees North because of immense heating of North Indian landmass and the
consequent low pressure. On Oceans, the belts are fairly stable because the variances in temperature are
not much pronounced.
Impact on formation of climatic regions:
Most significant impact is in form of inhibition of cloud formation under the HP Belt. As HPBs move
over an area, it experiences lesser rainfall.
STHP lies over Mediterranean region in summers, leading to aridity. When it moves southalong with
the apparent shift of the Sun, the region receives rainfall. During winters, Westerlies prevail and
cause rain, where as in summers, the dry trade winds blow offshore.
On Monsoon: Only on the northward shifting of the EQLP in the form of ITCZ (Inter-tropical
Convergence Zone) do the south-east trade winds cross the equator and reach as monsoon winds.
Besides convergence, convectional uplifting which causes rainfall in the northern plains also occurs in
the shifted EQLP i.e. ITCZ.
Sahara desert remains almost entirely in the region where STHP is found. The edges of Sahara
experience some rainfall and therefore a transitional climatic zone has developed there.
Regional climatic zones: Many regional and local climates owe their existence to shifting pressure
belts. For example, Chinese type, Gulf type, Natal type and so on.
Socio-economic significance:
Mediterranean climate is conducive for growing citrus fruits and therefore it has developed as major
supplier of fruits as well as wine worldwide.
Similar climate in Natal (South Africa), Southern Australia and California has given to similar social
setup there based on vineyards and fruit production.
Monsoon determines the socio-economic setup of India via its agricultural economy.
5. What factors are responsible for the origin and modification of ocean currents? Explain with examples
how ocean current currents affect the climate of surrounding regions.
Approach:
First of all, bring out factors which are responsible for the origin and modification of the ocean
currents and elaborate them briefly.
Then, with examples, elaborate how ocean currents determine the climate of surrounding regions.
6. Climate change is one of the many challenges that coral islands face today. Comment. What measures
can be taken to prevent the further depletion of coral islands?
Approach:
Define coral islands and discuss the major challenges faced by them.
Suggest conservation measures like recognizing carrying capacity of each atoll, observing caution in
using coral as building material, reducing sand loss from the atoll etc.
Answer:
Coral islands develop from coral reefs either by uplift or by accretion. Coral islands may also be formed
from atoll reefs wherein they manifest as a string of roughly circular islands with shallow lagoons.
Examples of coral islands include Maldives, Kiribati islands, Lakshadweep etc.
Climate change is only one of the many challenges which coral islands face today as illustrated below:
Global Warming: Warmer water temperatures brought on by climate change stress corals and cause
coral bleaching. Bleached corals are weaker in strength.
With climate change, acidity of oceans increases because of dissolution of carbon dioxide. This is the
major cause of death of corals.
Many coral islands are small and near sea level, so they are at constant threat from cyclones, storms
and rising sea levels. As the ocean level rises, coral islandsand any infrastructure on themare
flooded and may drown altogether.
Relatively rapid establishment, growth of the tourist industry, and the introduction of mechanized
fishing.
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Coral mining, construction of groynes (barrier built out into the sea from a beach to check erosion
and drifting), breakwaters, and jetties, and anchor damage and siltation caused by speedboats cause
considerable damage to coral islands.
Most tropical raised atolls have been dramatically altered by human activities such as species
introduction, phosphate mining and even bomb testing.
Livelihood concerns - Atolls have few natural resources. Soil quality on atolls is very poor, and erosion
is a constant threat. Most native residents on atolls practice subsistence agriculture and fishing.
Fisheries and support for the shipping industry help support communities on remote atolls.
Other threats include pollution, increased shipping traffic, risk of oil spills and dumping, inadequate
waste disposal, and the overuse of water pumps and fertilisers for agriculture.
Measures:
Political measures: The global agreements combating climate change must keep the needs of coral
islands as top priority. Maldives often leads international conferences on the impacts of global
warming, which is associated with sea level rise. Maldives and Kiribati have also taken steps to
outline a permanent evacuation process should sea level rise threaten to drown inhabited atolls.
Geo-engineering solutions: For example, island nations such as Maldives and Kiribati are fortifying
their atolls by dredging the seafloor. Sand elevates certain areas and widens others, creating a more
stable landmass.
Switching to sustainable livelihood measures: It is high time to recognize the carrying capacity of
each coral island ecosystem and limit population growth, tourist foot fall etc. at these islands.
Developing alternative livelihoods like establishing sustainable fisheries could significantly slow the
decline of many reefs. Some atoll communities have taken advantage of their equatorial location and
established launch sites for low-orbit satellites. Similarly, Tuvalu, receives millions of dollars for use of
its ".tv" Internet domain name.
7. Rare earth elements are the 'vitamins of modern industry'. Elaborate. Also comment on their
distribution and production in the world.
Approach:
Give a brief introduction about what rare earth elements are.
Mention their importance and uses in industries.
Give an account of their distribution pattern and production around the world.
Answer:
Rare earth elements (REE) are a set of seventeen elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen
lanthanides, as well as scandium and yttrium. They are not especially rare, but they tend to occur
together in nature and are difficult to separate from one another.
Usage of REE in Modern industries:
REE are known as vitamins of modern industries due to their wide use in the variety of industries and
their unique magnetic, luminescent and electrochemical properties.
REE enable many technologies to perform with reduced weight, reduced emissions, energy
consumption, greater efficiency, performance, speed, durability, and thermal stability.
Rare earths are used as catalysts, phosphors, and polishing compounds. These are used for air
pollution control, illuminated screens on electronic devices, and the polishing of optical-quality glass.
The uniqueness of these elements to accept and discharge the electrons enables them to be used in
electronic, optical and magnetic applications. They are used in everyday life as rechargeable
batteries, cell phones, catalytic converters, fluorescent lighting.
The military use includes night-vision goggles, precision-guided weapons, communications
equipment, GPS equipment, batteries and other defense electronics. Rare earth metals are key
ingredients for making the very hard alloys used in armored vehicles and projectiles.
8. Scientific and technological advancements have removed the constraints posed by geographical
factors which determine the location of industries. Comment. Giving examples, discuss the new factors
that have come into play as a result.
Approach:
Give details of the traditional geographical location factors which used to be the determinants of
location of an industry earlier.
Explain how scientific and technological advancement has affected and altered the relevance of
these factors.
Hence, write about the new factors in play today.
Answer:
Traditionally, geographical factors were big determinants of location of an industry (especially
manufacturing). These factors include:
Raw material: It is very significant in manufacturing industries. For example Jute mills were set up in
Hooghly region as they got the raw material from the Delta region of the Ganga.
9. Discuss the environmental impact of electronic waste and the best practices for its handling in the
context of the E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016. Also suggest some ways to incentivise consumers
to utilise and dispose-off the e-waste properly.
Approach:
Define electronic waste and its impact on environment.
Bring out the features of new rules regarding handling of E-waste.
Suggest innovative steps to utilize/dispose e-waste.
10. What factors make the Mediterranean region the leading fruit and wine producer in the world? Also
discuss why it has not developed as a prominent animal rearing region.
Approach:
For the first part of the answer, enumerate factors such as climate and farming practices etc which
make Mediterranean the leading producer of fruit and wine.
In the Second part, provide various facets underlying the underdevelopment of animal rearing in the
region.
11. Describe the factors responsible for increase in marine pollution in the past few decades. What impact
does marine pollution have on the ocean ecosystem? Discuss the measures taken by the international
community to deal with it.
Approach:
Discuss the factors responsible for marine pollution and the effects they cause to the marine
ecosystem.
Discuss the international measures to tackle the issue.
Answer:
Marine pollution includes a range of threats which include those from land-based sources, oil spills,
untreated sewage, heavy siltation, eutrophication (nutrient enrichment), invasive species, persistent
organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals from mine tailings and other sources, acidification, radioactive
substances, marine litter, overfishing and destruction of coastal and marine habitats.
Over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities either through deliberate dumping or
from run-off through drains and rivers. The various factors and their impact on the marine system
include:
12. Highlight the factors that affect the location of nuclear power plants. Also discuss the potential
benefits of building nuclear power stations on floating platforms.
Approach:
Enumerate factors like availability of fuel and cooling water, proximity to populated areas,
community attitudes, ecology, security, seismic area evaluation etc.
Discuss the advantages of floating nuclear plant (For example, safety from earthquakes and
tsunamis, ease in dismantling etc.)
Answer:
Site selection and evaluation are a crucial part of establishing a nuclear power plant and can be
significantly affected by costs and public acceptance. The aim is to protect the plant against external
threats as well as to minimize any environmental detriments and threats that might arise from it. Some
important factors while site selection:
Ecology concerns: It is essential to conduct detailed studies for potential impact of nuclear power
plant operation due to radioactive and thermal pollution.
Availability of nuclear fuel, cooling water: The site should be such that the fuel required for nuclear
power generation such as uranium and others should be available near the site or transporting such
fuel should not be difficult and time consuming. Also PWR, BWR mostly use light water as their
coolant as well as moderator so water facility should be available near to the site and in plenty.
Population and sources of livelihood in the region: A nuclear power plant site extends to about a
kilometers distance from the facility. It is defined as an area where only power plant related
activities are allowed as a rule. Permanent settlement is prohibited and only very limited employee
accommodation or recreational settlement is allowed.
Human activities and human facilities: In the plants vicinity, no activities may be carried out that
could pose an external threat to the plant. The general principle in the siting of nuclear power plants
is to have the facilities in a sparsely populated area and far away from large population centers. What
justifies placement in a sparsely populated area is that emergency planning will then be directed at a
smaller population group and will thus be easier to implement.
External threats and environmental threats: Examples of exceptional natural phenomena include-
Freezing or other clogging of the cooling water intake, Storms, Flood, Earthquake, Tsunami etc. Apart
from these threats like vulnerability to terrorism and warfare should also be considered.
Transport arrangements and Traffic arrangements: Transport system to the plant should be smooth
and should not affect the working of plant due to delays in transporting necessary material, men etc.
to the plant.
Arrangement to dispose off the nuclear waste safely.
13. How is the coal bearing strata of India classified in geological terms? Why does coal remain the most
important source of energy in India and what are its implications?
Approach:
Write about the geological classification of coal deposits in India.
Give the various reasons which make coal based energy a critical part of the energy pie of the
country.
Give the consequences of being highly dependent on coal based commercial energy.
Answer:
Geological classification of coal bearing strata of India:
Gondwana Coals of the Permian, which are confined to river valleys of Damodar, Mahanadi,
Godavari, etc. Its important coal bearing areas and are collectively known as Damudas, which
belongs to the lower Gondwana system. It consists of two main horizons:
o Barakar measures of the lower Permian age. These are more important because they are of
better quality and they occur in all coal fields.
o Raniganj measures of the upper Permian age. These occur principally in Raniganj coalfield.
Tertiary coals of the Eocene, where lignite predominates. It principally occurs in Assam, lower
foothills of Kashmir and in Rajasthan in Eocene strata. Lignite deposits are also found in South Arcot
district of Tamil Nadu, Kutchh in Gujarat and in Kerala.
Coal is an important energy source for India because:
High availability of coal reserves in India; India has worlds third largest coal reserves.
Technological know-how: We are technologically independent for coal based thermal energy, while
for other sources we have to import technology.
Cheaper energy source, coal based thermal power is significantly cheaper. Therefore it accounts for
70.25% of the total installed capacity.
Relative advantages vis-a-vis other sources: In terms of cost, land needed, and potential hazard
when compared to renewable, solar, and nuclear respectively.
It is also more immune to interference from nature, such as earthquakes and floods, economic
vagaries and artificial accidents. Example: the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Implications:
Environmental Impact: Among the three major fossil fuels, coal is considered the dirtiest. Indian coal
is of low quality and hence generates a lot of waste. It also produces pollutants such as SO2, NOx and
fine particulate matter
Health impact: Coal-based pollution kills about 115,000 Indians annually. It also causes health hazard
with associated health care expenditure.
14. Explain the reasons for the formation of Sargasso Sea. Also, examine the factors for it being a region
with one of the highest ocean salinity.
Approach:
Mention the location and features of Sargasso Sea in brief.
Explain the reasons behind formation of Sargasso Sea.
Write about the Salinity of Sargasso Sea and the various factors responsible for its high salinity.
Answer:
The Sargasso Sea is a vast patch of sea in the North Atlantic Ocean located between latitudes 20N and 35
N and longitudes 30W and 70W, named for a genus of free-floating seaweed called Sargassum. It is the
only sea in the world without a land boundary.
Reasons behind formation:
Sargasso Sea has shores across its border. Its boundaries are defined only by ocean currents. It lies within
the Northern Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. It is encircled by the Gulf Stream in the west, north Atlantic drift
in the north, Canary current in the east and North Equatorial and Antilles current in the south. Since this
area is defined by boundary currents, its borders are dynamic, correlating roughly with the Azores High
Pressure Center for any particular season.
It is assumed that the great currents of the North Atlantic that encircle it, bring into it millions of tons of
floating sargassum weed. However, sargassum fields of the West Indies and Florida are too limited to
supply the immense sea of Sargasso. Hence, it is possible, that the Sargasso weed maintains itself. The
plants have become adapted to life in the open sea, need no roots or holdfasts for attachment, and are
able to propagate by breaking off bits to grow into new plants through vegetative propagation.
The individual plants may live for decades, depending on specific species. The surrounding ocean
currents form a virtual fence and the region provides ideal conditions for them to grow.
High salinity of Sargasso Sea:
Sargasso Sea is characterized by a high salt content of 36 which is a distinct feature of the sea. It can
be attributed to the following factors:
15. How does the Shailesh Nayak Committee on coastal zone regulation addresses the concerns of CRZ
notification of 2011?
Approach:
Briefly introduce the CRZ notification of 2011 and mention the concerns/ limitations of the
notification.
Write about the Shailesh Nayak Committee and its objectives. Discuss how the recommendations of
the committee address these concerns.
Answer:
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) is the coastal stretch of the mainland and the water area up to its
territorial water limit. The CRZ notification 2011 seeks to protect livelihoods of traditional fisher folk
communities; preserve coastal ecology; and promote economic activities that have necessarily to be
located in coastal regions.
While the CRZ Notification of 2011 has introduced several positive concepts seeking to protect the
interest of the local traditional communities, it does have a few drawbacks such as:
Although the no-development zone of 200 meters from the HTL is reduced to 100 meters, the pro-
vision has been made applicable to traditional coastal communities, including fisher-folk, thereby
giving the chance for increased construction on the coast and higher pressure on coastal resources.
It disallowed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) projects in the CRZ.
There are no restrictions for expansion of housing for rural communities in CRZ III.
Shailesh Nayak Committee
The Shailesh Nayak committee was commissioned in June 2014 after states expressed dissatisfaction
regarding the limitations set by the CRZ notification of 2011. It recommended several relaxations in the
terms set by the 2011 notification to boost tourism, port construction and real estate in the region.
Greater powers and responsibilities to coastal States to regulate development, maintain and
conserve ecologically fragile zones and ensure that environment be protected without neglecting
basic requirements of growing population.
All activities except those requiring environmental clearances should fall under the ambit of the state
and local planning bodies instead of being regulated by central policy.
The urban planning rules prepared by local authorities be prioritised for slum development and
rehabilitation instead of the 2011 regulations which were deemed restrictive by states.
For rural areas with a population density of over 2,161 persons/sq km, the no-development buffer
zone be limited to 50m from the High Tide Line (HTL). For other areas, the buffer has been
recommended at 200m from the HTL.
The report called for allowing reclamation of lands for specific infrastructure such as ports, bridges
and fisheries-related structures for the larger public interest.
Allowing temporary tourist facilities in no-development zones in coastal areas as well as permanent
structures on the landward sides of national/state highways when these pass through these zones.
16. Give a brief distribution of major grasslands of the world. Discuss the reasons behind the temperate
grasslands becoming the grain baskets of the world. Also compare their performance vis-a-vis tropical
grasslands in this regard.
Approach:
Briefly introduce the answer with distribution pattern of the major grasslands of the world both
tropical and temperate.
Discuss the conditions due to which temperate grasslands have emerged as grain baskets of the
world.
In the final part, talk about yield difference per acre as well as per person.
Answer:
Grasslands are characterized as lands dominated by grasses rather than large shrubs or trees. They
are among the largest ecosystems in the world and comprise 40.5 percent of the terrestrial area. There
are two main divisions of grasslands
Tropical Grasslands: Also known as Savannas, these are the transitional regions found between the
equatorial forests and the trade wind hot deserts. They are located in semi-arid to semi-humid
climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes. They lie roughly between 70 to 200 north and
south of the Equator.
Temperate Grasslands: Also known as Steppes, they occupy the interior of the continents in the mid-
latitude zone of 400 and 550 North and South. These grasslands occupy vast areas in the Northern
Hemisphere where their east-west extension in broader. In Southern Hemisphere, the grasslands are
small in extent.
The Temperate grasslands differ from the Tropical Savannas in the sense that the former are practically
treeless and the grasses are much shorter and less coarser making them more suitable for animals which
make temperate grasslands more suitable for animal rearing and dairy farming.
The Temperate grasslands are known as the granaries of the world. They are the largest wheat
exporters. The conditions responsible for this are-
The cool, moist spring stimulates early growth and the light showers in the ripening period help to
swell the grains to ensure a good yield.
The warm, sunny summer is not only advantageous for harvesting, but also enables the straw to be
dried for farm use.
The levelness of the Steppes makes ploughing and harvesting a comparatively easy job.
Marked specialization in wheat monoculture, high degree of mechanization, strong forward linkages
are some of the other reasons.
17. The Paris Climate agreement sets ambitious goals but does not go far enough in mechanisms to
achieve the aims. Comment. Also highlight the challenges which a developing country like India faces
to achieve the targets it has set for itself.
Approach:
Give a brief introduction about targets agreed under the Paris Agreement.
Explain how the shortcoming in the Agreement may pose challenges in achieving the targets.
Then, move on to the challenges being faced by developing countries which have set announced
ambitious INDCs.
In the conclusion, briefly talk about the role of developed countries in this regard.
Answer:
In December 2015, Parties under the UNFCCC adopted the Paris Agreement, pledging to take on
increasingly ambitious emission reduction targets aimed at keeping global temperature rise to at most 2
degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The agreement also includes tools to help countries achieve
their ambitions, including markets and mechanisms.
While the Paris Agreement sets forth an innovative and potentially effective policy architecture for
dealing with global climate change, a great deal remains to be done to elaborate the accord, formulate
required rules and guidelines, and specify means of implementation.
Not a legally binding instrument in its entirety- parties have limited accountability for failure to
fulfill their obligations. Therefore, the developed countries may not provide adequate funding to
implement mitigation and adaptation activities for ensuring climate-resilient development. This
would pose a serious challenge for the developing countries to pursue domestic mitigation and
adaptation activities to address adverse impacts of climate change.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) - the Agreement does not explicitly mention Intellectual Property
Rights (IPR). Huge upfront investment coupled with absence of intellectual property rights may
hinder the private sectors participation in implementation of the Agreement.
Compensation for losses-although the phenomenon of climate-related loss and damage was
recognised in the Agreement, the possibility of compensation for losses (i.e. compensation to
affected peoples or countries) was not recognised. While the Agreement has recognised the
interrelation between human rights and climate change impacts, there were no obligations on
relocation stated in the agreement to address the rights of the people vulnerable to displacement.
Paris Agreement has also established a new market-based mechanism, under which any signatories
can be buyers or sellers of emissions units, which may now be called internationally transferred
mitigation outcomes or ITMOs. However, concerns related to scarce demand from countries and
questions of environmental integrity are still needed to be addressed.
There are number of emission trading schemes in operation but most continue to co-exist in a
disconnected patchwork that lacks an international regime to link them. Paris Agreement also has
remained silent on linking such schemes.
There are also concerns that the emissions cuts promised by countries are still wholly insufficient to
meet the desired targets.
18. Why are river deltas important? Discuss the existing threats to river deltas and the measures needed
to overcome these threats.
Approach:
Explain the importance of deltas as nutrient-rich wetlands having important role of absorbing runoff,
filtering water, reducing impact of pollution flowing from upstream, serving as important habitats for
diverse flora and fauna, supporting livelihoods of numerous tribals etc.
Give an account of threats like excessive river engineering, river pollution, climate change etc.
List the conservation measures like management of sediments, behavioural change, placing storm
surge barriers etc.
Answer:
A river delta is a landform that forms from deposition of sediment carried by a river as the flow leaves its
mouth and enters slower-moving or standing water.
Significance of Deltas:
Ecological: Deltas absorb runoff from both floods (from rivers) and storms (from lakes or the ocean),
filter water and thus reduces the impact of pollution flowing from upstream.
o Deltas are also important wetland habitats. They support extremely diverse and specialized flora
and fauna and are areas of dense forests. Also, a place for many migratory birds.
Economic: Deltas are important places for trade and commerce, and major ports.
o Deltas due to rich accumulation of silt are fertile agricultural areas. World's largest delta is the
GangesBrahmaputra delta in India and Bangladesh, which empties into Bay of Bengal. It is
densely populated supporting livelihood of millions. Fish, other seafood, and crops such as rice
and tea are leading agricultural products of the delta.
o Deltas possess well sorted sand and gravel which is quarried.
o Due to their diversity they are centres of tourism and recreation.
Threats to River Deltas
Human activities, including diversion of water for irrigation and creation of dams reduce
sedimentation, which can cause delta to erode away. Similarly unsustainable mining of sand and
gravel degrades river delta.
19. Transfer of water from one river basin to another is not, per se, either a novel or an untested idea.
However, the river linking project in India requires going beyond mere transfer of water. Assessing the
feasibility of the interlinking of rivers, analyze its potential in addressing water related challenges in
India.
Approach:
First of all give a brief background of the concept of interlinking of river in India.
Then bring out varied dimensions that interlinking of river will involve apart from transfer of water.
After that analyse its potential in addressing the water related challenges in India. Also try to bring
out various challenges in its implementation.
Answer:
The idea of inter-linking Indian rivers is not new. Every irrigation project involves such transfer at some
scale. Originally mooted during by the Britishers, the scheme was revisited by irrigation engineer KL Rao
in 1972. Supreme Court has been issuing orders to the government to implement the scheme to interlink
rivers.
The current interlinking of river programme is based on the National Perspective Plan (NPP) comprising
30 river links. It would consist of more than 3000 storages to distribute 174 billion cubic meters of water
through a canal network of 14900 kms. However, the river linking project is not merely transferring of
water but it involves other varied dimensions as well.
Land acquisition will be a huge challenge in implementing the inter-linking projects which they
require for making dams, canals etc.
Issue of inter-state river disputes will be aggravated.
Some interlinking projects are between rivers with similar regimes. For ex. Ken and Betwa have
similar regime and hence scientists claim that their interlinking is not required.
20. With increasing urbanisation in India, the land usage pattern is undergoing major changes. Comment.
Approach:
Explain urbanization briefly.
Then discuss how it has impacted the land use pattern.
List the challenges arising out of such changes and suggest remedial measures.
Answer:
Urbanization refers to increase in percentage of population living in urban areas. Consequently rapid
expansion of urban areas due to rise in population and economic growth is causing land-use changes.
These changes are not occurring only in urban but also in rural areas and rural-urban interface.
In particular, these changes can be discerned as follows: