Ch-Water

• Define the following terms:-

1. Agriculture- it refers to the human activity of cultivating crops and
plantation for production of food and goods.
2. Reservoirs- a natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored
for supplying a community and irrigating land etc.
3. Irrigation- it is the process of applying water to the crops artificially to fulfil
their water requirements.
4. Hydroelectricity- is electricity made by generators that are pushed by the
movement of water. It is usually made with dams that block a river to make
a reservoir or collect water that is pumped there.
5. Canal-it is a man-made waterway that connects two bodies of water.
6. Dam-it is a structure built across a river or stream to hold back water.

Ques/Ans
3. Answer the following questions.
a. What are the various uses of water?
Ans-We need water for activities such as washing, drinking, cooking and irrigation.
b. What are canals? Explain their use.
Ans- Canals are long trenches that are used to channelise water from the rivers to
the fields for irrigation. They are the most important means of irrigation in India.
They provide water to 29 percent of the total land under irrigation in India.
c. What is hydroelectricity?
Ans- Electricity generated by using the force of water is called hydroelectricity.
d. What are multipurpose projects? Explain with examples.
Ans- Dams build across rivers that store water for irrigation purposes, generate
hydroelectricity, prevent floods and facilitate afforestation are called as
multipurpose projects. The Bhakra Nangal Dam for instance provides water for
irrigation to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The Rihand project provides UP with
water and electricity.
e. What would happen if dams are not built?
Ans-If dams are not built:
• We will not be able to store excess water from rivers
• We will not be able to use the stored water for irrigation
• If water is not available in reservoirs, we will not be able to generate electricity
• If there is large amount of water in the river, it can cause floods downstream
f. Hydroelectricity is a renewable source of energy. Explain.
Ans-Water is a renewable resource because it can be used over and over again
and it gets replenished on earth through rains. Hydroelectricity is produced from
water hence it is a renewable energy.
4. Give reasons for the following.
a. Not all the water available on the Earth’s surface is fit for consumption.
Ans-More than 97 per cent of this water is in oceans and seas. This water is salty
and unfit for domestic or agricultural use.
b. Multipurpose projects are very useful.
Ans- Multipurpose projects are very useful because they help to store water,
control floods, and generate hydroelectricity.