Water Resources
Assertion & Reason Type Questions
In the following questions given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A)
and Reason (R). Read the statements and choose the correct option:
a. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is the correct explanation
of Assertion (A).
b. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct, but Reason (R) is not the correct
explanation of Assertion (A).
c. Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
d. Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
Q 1. Assertion (A): Groundwater is a highly overused resource.
Reason (R): Groundwater is used for domestic and drinking purposes.
Answer : A
Q 2. Assertion (A): The availability of water resources varies over space and time.
Reason (R): Availability of water resources helps in storing water.
Answer : C
Q 3. Assertion (A): Dams are referred to as multi-purpose projects.
Reasons (R): Dams are built for irrigation, electricity generation, water supply for
domestic and industrial use, flood control, recreation and fish breeding.
Answer : A
Q 4. Assertion (A): Local people oppose the big hydroelectric projects in India.
Reason (R): Big hydroelectric projects displace huge number of local people and their
agricultural land and homes get submerged in water bringing loss to their livelihood and
culture.
Answer : A
Q 5. Assertion (A): Rainwater harvesting is to collect and store rainwater.
Reason (R): Rainwater can be directed to recharge the underground water source.
Answer : A
Q6. Assertion (A) : Water is a renewable resource.
Reason (R) : Freshwater is mainly obtained from surface run off and ground water
that is continually being renewed.
Q7. Assertion (A) : The availability of water resources varies over space and time.
Reason (R) : Availability of water resources helps in storing water.
Q8. Assertion (A) : Dams are referred to as multi-purpose projects.
Reason (R) : Dams are built for irrigation, electricity generation, water supply for
domestic and industrial use, flood control, recreation and fish breeding.
Q9. Assertion (A) : Dams are only used for generating electricity, not for irrigation.
Reason (R) : Water stored in dam does not produce electricity.
Q10. Assertion (A) : Irrigation has also changed the cropping pattern.
Reason (R) : Crops are now sown according to the amount and availability of water.
Q11. Assertion (A) : Irrigation is considered to be the major source of agriculture.
Reason (R) : Dams are well-known for their capacity to hold water for agriculture.
Q12. Assertion (A) : Multi-purpose projects help to control floods by
regulating water flow.
Reason (R) : Dafrisyere constructed to conserve water.
Q13. Assertion (A) : Growing Population is the main reason for water scarcity.
Reason (R) : Irrigation from tube wells and canals is responsible for water scarcity.
Q14. Assertion (A) : Ground water a highly overused resource.
Reason (R) : Ground water is used for domestic and drinking purpose.
Q15. Assertion (A) : It was observed that the multi-purpose projects induced
earthquakes, caused water-borne disease.
Reason (R) : People had in-depth knowledge of rainfall regimes and soil types and
developed wide ranging techniques to harvest rainwater, groundwater, river water
and flood water in keeping with the local ecological conditions and their water
needs.
Q16. Assertion (A) : Today, dams are built not just for irrigation but for electricity
generation, water supply for domestic and industrial uses, flood control, recreation,
inland navigation and fish breeding.
Reason (R) : Hence, dams are now referred to as multi-purpose projects where the
many uses of the impounded water are integrated with one another.
Q17. Assertion (A) : In ancient India, along with the sophisticated hydraulic
structures, there existed an extraordinary tradition of water-harvesting system.
Reason (R) : Rainwater, or palar pani, as commonly referred to in these parts, is
considered the purest form of natural water.
Q18. Assertion (A) : In Gujarat, the Sabarmati-basin farmers were agitated and
almost caused a riot over the higher priority given to water supply in urban areas,
particularly during droughts.
Reason (R) : Inter-state water disputes are also becoming less common with regard
to sharing the costs and benefits of the multi-purpose project.
Q19. Assertion (A) : Most of the objections to the projects arose due to their
success to achieve the purposes for which they were built.
Reason (R) : Ironically, the dams that were constructed to control floods have
triggered floods due to sedimentation in the reservoir.
ANSWER KEY 6 to 19
Q6 : (a) The total volume of world’s water is estimated to exist as oceans and only
few cent occurs to be fresh water. Nearly 70 per cent of this freshwater occurs as ice
sheets and glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland and the mountainous regions of the
world.
Q7 : (c) Water resources varies over space and time due to the variation in seasonal
and annual precipitation however water scarcity in most cases is caused by over-
exploitation and excessive use.
Q8 : (a) Dams were traditionally built to impound rivers and rainwater that could
be used later to irrigate agricultural fields. They also help in various activities. Thus,
the reason justifies the assertion.
Q9 : (d) Dams are built to impound rivers and rainwater that could be used later to
irrigate agricultural fields and it also helps to generate electricity and fulfills a
variety of purposes at the same time. Thus, both reason and assertion are false.
Q10 : (a) Irrigation has also changed the cropping pattern of many regions
with farmers shifting to water intensive and commercial crops. Large farmers
are benefitted through changing the cropping pattern.
Q11 : (c) Assertion is true but reason is [Link] is considered to be the
major source of agriculture. The major sources of irrigation are from canals, tanks,
wells and tubes but dams are used only to store large water for later use.
Q12 : (b) Multi-purpose projects include dam which helps us in conserving and
managing water. Floods occur due to very rainfall. Building dams in most of our
river basins helps in controlling floods as it helps in storing and regulating water
resource. Thus both are true, but the reason does not justify the answer.
Q13 : (c) Water is utilized on large basis because, increasing population requires
more water for cooking, washing and bathing. Irrigation is not a major contributor.
Thus, the assertion is true but the reason is not.
Q14 : (a) Ground water a highly’ overused resource as it used for domestic purpose
and drinking purpose. Huge population mainly depends upon the ground water forn
basic requirements
Q15 : (a) Q16 : (a) Q17 : (b)
Q18 : (c) Q19 : (d)