KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN- New Delhi

2014
Zonal Institute of Education & Training
Bhubaneswar

OPEN TEXT BOOK ASSESSMENT FOR CLASS IX (SCIENCE)

SA-II, 2014

Prepared under the Guidance of Ms. Usha Aswath Iyer, DC/Director of ZIET,BBSR
Prepared by
1. Mrs. Hajra Sheikh
PGT(Chemistry)
2. Mrs. T. Samrajya Lakshmi PGT(Physics)

CONTEXT
This Material is prepared to help the students to understand and analyse the passage given. Also the
teacher is requested to make students sit in a group and come out with answers after a discussion. The
paragraph wise questions and questions that involve thinking, analyzing and reflecting are also
included. In Group work, will lead to development of maximum potential of the student.
A mind map has been made at the end of each theme to aid the students understanding. The students
could be made to make such mind maps after reading the open text passage. Mind maps can be made
still simpler.

The given Open text material is for use in Summative Assessment II of Class IX
(2014)

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OPEN TEXT BASED ASSESSMENT SA II MARCH 2014

SCIENCE (086): CLASS IX
THEMEI CLEAN AIR- A SHARED CONCERN

Answer the following

Each question carries one mark

Name the conditions of the atmosphere that provides excellent conditions to support

The atmosphere comprising of mainly Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon dioxide and water

What are pollutants?

The undesired components which contaminate air are called pollutants.

Name the gas that is necessary for the survival of life on earth.

Carbon dioxide is necessary for the survival of life on earth.

`Name the phenomenon that is essential to maintain and keep the earths atmosphere

Photosynthesis

What is the cause for the depletion of ozone layer?

The use of refrigerators and air conditioners, fire extinguishers, aerosol sprays like

and sustain life.

vapour provides excellent conditions to support and sustain life.

warm.

deodorants etc. results in release of CFCs and N2O in the atmosphere which is
responsible for depletion of ozone layer

Give the consequences of depletion of ozone layer

UV radiations enter into the atmosphere causing damage to all kinds of life on earth.

What is NAMP?

NAMP stands for National Air Quality Monitoring Programmer.

What is the significance of PM10?

PM10 is the term used to describe tiny particles in the air, made up of a complex

mixture of soot, organic and inorganic materials having particle size less than or equal
to 10 microns diameter(10 microns is equal to one hundredth part of a millimeter)

What do PTI and IST stand for?

Press Trust of India, and Indian Standard Time

10

What is the place of Air pollution in taking lives of people in India?

Air pollution is the fifth largest killer in India taking 6.2 lakh lives per year.

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Answer the following

Each question carries 2 marks

Name the five most critically polluted regions in the country.

Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gwalior, West Singbhum district in Jharkhand and Raipur are the

How acid rain is is formed?

The oxides of sulphur, carbon, and nitrogen released into the atmosphere from

five most critically polluted regions in the country.

chimneys of Industries and exhaust of vehicles react with water of the rains and
oxygen from air to form acids. Dissolved acids make the rain acidic in nature.

What is the affect of acid rains on the environment?

Acid rains are very harmful for both, living and nonliving things. Acid rains damage
crops, pollute soil and water, ruin the harvest, damage aquatic life and erode
buildings.

Name the undesirable components which contaminate and cause air pollution

The harmful Ozone in the lower atmosphere, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen dioxide,
Solid or liquid matter that is suspended in the air, Sulfur dioxide, Lead,Arsenic,

asbestos, benzene and dioxin, Green House gasses Carbon dioxide methane and
nitrous oxide are the components which cause air pollution.
5
A

What is the effect of carbon monoxide on the life on earth?

It makes the body parts hard to get the necessary oxygen

More exposure makes people feel dizzy and tired
High concentrations is fatal

People suffering from heart disease are hospitalized more often.

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What is the importance of Earth Day? When is it celebrated

To give awareness to the people towards keeping the planet Earth non polluted, Earth

What is Global warming?

Increase in the levels of CO2 due to excessive burning of fossil fuels and other carbon

Day is celebrated on April 22 every year.

containing fuels which results in excessive heating of the earths surface is called
Global Warming.

What are the greenhouse gases present in the earths atmosphere in their order of

Water vapour, Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, chlorofluorocarbons.

What made the Governments of different nations take up the problem of air pollution

Smog which surrounded the city of London in the year 1952 resulted in the loss of

abundance in the atmosphere

to a central stage?

about 4000 human lives and many others suffering from serious breathing problems .
This made Governments of different nations to take-up the problem of air pollution to
a central stage.

10

Visibility is very low during winters. Why?

Smog is a mixture of smoke dust particles and fog. The smoke emitted from the

11

What is the effect of Air toxics on the Human beings?

Air toxics can impair lung function and neurodevelopment, or aggravate existing

exhaust of the vehicles settles over fog in winter and reduces the visibility

conditions, such as asthma. Infants who were born premature or growth-retarded

may be particularly vulnerable to additional environmental affects..

12

From picture no. 5 name the diseases affecting children of 0 to 5 years.

Diseases affecting children in the age from 0 to 5 years are

13

From picture no 5 name the diseases affecting children of 6 to 12 years.

Chronic cough and bronchitis, Reduced lung function, wheezing and asthma attacks,.

High respiratory rate, Respiratory death cough bronchitis wheeze and ear infections

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14

From the bar graph find out in which city there are more number of ill health children

In Nagpur there are more number of unhealthy children because Nagpur is more

and less number of ill health children and give your conclusions.

polluted and in, Hyderabad there are less number of unhealthy children because
Hyderabad is comparatively less polluted. There are more number of unhealthy

children in Nagpur than the other cities.The city does not have large industries and
hence the high SPM levels are mainly due to demolition of buildings, construction
activity, and excavation of roads
15

What is PM10? Give the unit of measurement of PM10?

PM10 is particulate matter. The unit of measurement of PM10 is microgram per cubic

16

From the table showing the Ambient Air quality factor of different cities, find the cities

From the table Gwalior and Raipur are the cities which are more polluted because in

metre or gm/m3

which are high in pollution and why?

those places PM 10 311 and 310 which is 1.5 times more than the National
standards.
17

What are the national standards of Ambient Air Quality for Residential, Industrial, and
other areas?

National Ambient Air Quality standard for Residential Rural and other areas(Annual

average) for SO2 = 50 microgram per cubic metre ,NO2 = gm/m3 PM 10=60 gm/m3
18

State two uses of Carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide is an essential raw material for
i.

ii.

Photosynthesis

Green house effect

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Answer the following

Each question carries 3 marks

Give the effect of Ozone on life on earth

Ozone can lead to more frequent asthma attacks in people who have asthma and can
cause sore throats, coughs, and breathing difficulty. It may even lead to premature
death. It can also hurt plants and crops.
.

What is the effect of Air Pollution on Taj Mahal? Give reasons for the same.

Taj Mahal is turning yellow because of air pollution. Glass factories, rubber industries,
Mathura Oil refinery and other industries of the neighbouring towns which burn

fossil fuels are responsible for this. These industries release soot particles and gases
into the atmosphere. The soot particles turn the colour of the marble to yellow and

gases react with water to form acid rain which corrodes the marble of the monument
3

What are the steps taken by the Govt to protect the Taj Mahal?

Steps taken by the Government in protecting the monument are

o
o
o

Government has put a ban on driving near the Taj Mahal.

All cars and buses are parked roughly 1km away.

Battery run buses or horse-drawn carriages have been set up for visitors to
reach the monument.

Industries in neighbouring towns are being persuaded to use cleaner fuels like
CNG and LPG instead of coke in their furnaces.

What is marble cancer?

Taj Mahal is turning yellow because of air pollution. Glass factories, rubber industries,
Mathura Oil refinery and other industries of the neighbouring towns which burn

fossil fuels are responsible for this. These industries release soot particles and gases
into the atmosphere. The soot particles turn the colour of the marble to yellow and

gases react with water to form acid rain which corrodes the marble of the monument.
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This phenomenon is called Marble Cancer.

5
A

Match the following

GROUP-A

GROUP-B

a. April 22

1. Tiny particles in the atmosphere

b. Greenhouse gas

2. Chlorofluorocarbons

c. Refrigeration
d.

Malappuram

f.

PM 10

e.

3. pollution free place

4.Highly polluted city

Gwalior

5. Continuous Development
6. carbon dioxide
7. Earth Day

State whether the following statements re TRUE or FALSE.

a. TajMahal is suffering from Marble Cancer.

b. Air Toxics can affect lung function and neuro development.

c. Greenhouse gases Keep the room cool

d. Refrigeration causes the release of Chlorofluro carbons

e. Taj Mahal is polluted by its surrounding Industries .
7

What is PM10?
Particulate matter (PM10) pollution consists of very small liquid and solid particles

floating in the air. Of greatest concern to public health are the particles small enough
to be inhaled into the deepest parts of the lung. These particles are less

than 10 microns in diameter - about 1/7th the thickness of the human hair - and are
known as PM10. This includes fine particulate matter known as PM2.5.
(Or)

PM10 is a mixture of materials that can include smoke, soot, dust, salt, acids, and

metals. Particulate matter also forms when gases emitted from motor vehicles and
industry undergoes chemical reactions in the atmosphere.
8

What are the sources of PM10?

There are sources of PM10 in both urban and rural areas, major sources include:
a. Motor vehicles.
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b. Wood burning stoves and fireplaces.

c. Dust from construction, landfills, and agriculture.

d. Wildfires and brush/waste burning.
e. Industrial sources.
f.

Windblown dust from open lands.

What is NAMP? What are the objectives of NAMP?

NAMP is National Air quality Monitoring Programme.

The objectives of NAMP are
To determine status and trends of ambient air quality;
o To ascertain whether the prescribed ambient air quality standards are
violated, to identify Non-attainment cities.
o To obtain the knowledge and understanding necessary for developing
preventive and corrective measures;

To understand the natural cleaning process undergoing in the environment

through pollution, dilution, dispersion, wind based movement, dry deposition,

precipitation and chemical transformation of pollutants generated.
10

How does Air pollution affects you?

PM10 is among the most harmful of all air pollutants. When inhaled these particles
evade the respiratory system's natural defenses and lodge deep in the lungs.

Health problems begin as the body reacts to these foreign particles. PM10 can increase
the number and severity of asthma attacks, cause or aggravate bronchitis and other
lung diseases, and reduce the body's ability to fight infections.

Although particulate matter can cause health problems for everyone, certain people

are especially vulnerable to PM10's adverse health effects. These "sensitive populations"
include children, the elderly, exercising adults, and those suffering from asthma or
bronchitis.

Of greatest concern are recent studies that link PM10 exposure to the premature death
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of people who already have heart and lung disease, especially the elderly
11

What steps do you take to control Air Pollution at your level?

OZONE (O3): Ozone can lead to more frequent asthma attacks in people who have

asthma and can cause sore throats, coughs, and breathing difficulty. It may even lead
to premature death..

Carbon Monoxide (CO): Carbon monoxide makes it hard for body parts to get the

oxygen they need to run correctly. Exposure to carbon monoxide makes people feel
dizzy and tired and gives them headaches. In high concentrations it is fatal. Elderly

people with heart disease are hospitalized more often when they are exposed to higher
amounts of carbon monoxide.

Particulate Matter (PM): Particulate matter that is small enough can enter the lungs
and cause health problems. Some of these problems include more frequent asthma
attacks, respiratory problems, and premature death.
12

Malappuram in Kerala state is considered to be pollution free. Justify your answer

The status of Ambient Air Quality in Malappuram is below the actual standards of
National Ambient Air quality i. e., SO2 = 2gm/m3, NO2= 52gm/m3, PM 10 =

30gm/m3. Since these values are very much below the national standards the city is
considered to be pollution free
13

What steps do you take to control Air Pollution at your level?

* Hang dry some-or all-of the laundry. Walk, ride your bike or take a bus to work.
* Share a ride with a friend or co-worker.

* Turn out the lights in empty rooms and when away from home.
* Avoid burning trash or leaves

* Hang dry some-or all-of the laundry.

* Reduce the number of trips you make in your car.

* Avoid the use of air conditioners altogether.
* Take the train or bus on long trips.
14
A

As a student what all actions can you take to make your environment clean
a.

Conserve energy in your home, office and automobile.

b. Purchase clean electric power.

c. Manage your heating and cooling. (Turn your thermostat down

in the winter and up in the summer whenever you are at work,

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sleeping or on vacation.)
d. Cut back on the amount of packaging you purchase and the
amount of household waste you produce (by composting).

e. Reduce the amount of time you spend in the car. (Carpool or use
public transportation whenever you can)

f. Improve your fuel economy. Avoid accelerating quickly, braking

hard and driving at high speeds, particularly when in heavy
traffic. Remove excess weight from your car and remove unused
roof racks or bike carriers, which cause drag.

16

Study picture 5 and answer the following question. How do the pollutants
affect the children?

Early childhood is a critical period for the continued development and

maturation of several biological systems such as the brain, lungs, and immune
system. Air toxins can impair lung function and neurodevelopment, or
aggravate existing conditions, such as chronic cough, bronchitis, reduced lung
function, wheezing and asthma. Infants who were born premature or growthretarded may be particularly vulnerable to additional environmental insults.

Answer the following

1

Each question carries 5marks

Carbon dioxide is necessary for the survival of life on Earth as it is an essential raw

material for the process of photosynthesis and greenhouse effect. This effect is essential
to maintain and keep the earths atmosphere warm to sustain life. But due to excessive
burning of fossil fuels and other carbon containing fuels, there has been an excessive

release of CO2 in the atmosphere. The increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere lead to
excessive heating in the earths surface. The heating results into a new phenomenon
called Global Warming.

Answer the following questions:

a. What is the function of greenhouse gas?

b. Give any two uses of the gas that is released in the process of photosynthesis.
c. What are the greenhouse gases?
A

a. The functions of greenhouse gases are to absorb heat from sunlight and
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trap it in the atmosphere to warm the Earth and melt the ice caps.

b. Carbon dioxide gas is involved in the production of refrigeration systems,

welding systems, water treatment processes (to stabilize the pH of water)
and carbonated beverages.

c. Water vapour, Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone,

chlorofluorocarbons

What are the effects of Acid rain on Environment?

Effects on vegetation: Acid rain corrodes the protective covering of leaves of the plants,
which affect the photosynthesis of the plants. Due to lack of nutrition, plants become
vulnerable to disease. Another cause of lack of nutrition for trees may be due to acid

rain getting absorbed by the soil. The harmful acids can have hazardous effects on the
roots of the trees
.

Effects on soil:: the soil has abundant various metals and minerals. When these metals
come in contact with acid rain there can be some harmful chemical reactions. These
reactions can lead to soil erosion. Acid rains are known to reduce the fertility of the
soil, leaving the land barren. Harmful acids can also reduce the amount of soil

microorganisms which perform important job of breaking down the dead and decayed
plants and other beings.

Effects on Aquatic Flora and Fauna: Acid rain can directly affect the aquatic life, as the
high amount of sulphuric acid and nitric acid levels in acid rains are directly

consumed by aquatic plants and animals. The harmful acids affects the ability of fish
to take in nutrients, salt, and oxygen. Aquatic animals intake oxygen from the water
through their gills, but harmful acids leads to mucus formation in the gills, which

hinders their ability to respire. Acid rains affect the pH level of water which reduce the
absorption capacity of essential nutrients of the aquatic life.

Effects on Human Health: As acid rain affects the soil making it poisonous, the
food which is grown on this soil is also contaminated. This food can seriously
hamper our entire body system and may cause death. The release of various
gases in the atmosphere leads to lung problems
3

Identify from the pictures and data given in the text, the diseases which occur in

children of age group 6 to 12 and 0 to 5 due to air pollution. Analyse the given data

and draw conclusion about health of children and pollution levels of various cities in

India. What are the steps taken by the authorities and communities to check the same?
Diseases which occur in children of age group 6 to 12: due to air pollution
Increase in lung volume

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 Chronic cough and bronchitis

Reduced lung function

Wheezing and asthma attacks

Respiratory problems

Diseases which occur in children of age group 0 to 5 due to air pollution

Alveolar development
Respiratory death

Cough , bronchitis wheezing, ear infections and illness

There are more number of unhealthy children in Nagpur than the other cities.

The city does not have large industries and hence the high SPM levels are mainly due
to demolition of buildings, construction activity, and excavation of roads.
STEPS TAKEN BY THE Govt TO CHECK AIR POLLUTION :

1. Proper care needs to be taken during demolition and excavation to ensure

that dust does not settle in air

2. Planting more trees

3. Proper disposal of bio- medical waste.

4

Air pollution-fifth largest killer in India

i.

ii.

iii.
A

i.

What are the effects of burning agricultural waste?

What are the health effects of Carbon Monoxide?
How can pollution prevention be achieved?

Burning agricultural waste is a source of particulate matter and other

pollutants. It can greatly affect the regional air quality, visibility and
ground level zero potential.

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ii.

When we breathe air containing CO it is absorbed through the

bloodstream where it displaces oxygen and bonds with the hemoglobin

in your blood. Carbon monoxide has a greater affinity to hemoglobin
than oxygen; CO bonds to hemoglobin about 250 times better than

oxygen. Without oxygen, vital organs, your heart and brain become

deprived and will begin to deteriorate. To compensate, your heart rate

increases, breathing may become difficult and in the most serious

circumstances cardiac trauma, brain damage, coma and even death will
result.

iii.

Pollution may be prevented by many types of approaches.

a. Reduction of pollutants can be achieved by using raw materials,

energy, and water more efficiently.

b. Conserving and protecting natural resources can also reduce

c.

the amount of waste produced.

Actions which may prevent and reduce pollution include:

product redesign substitution of raw materials process or

equipment modifications improvements in maintenance,
training, inventory control and housekeeping.

Answer the following

1

Higher Order thinking questions.

A farmer plants the crop in the field. After some days he finds the plants to be
dead. He plants the crop once again and finds the same result. What may be
the cause for this . Give your answer.

The Plants die due to the effect of acid rain. Acid rain does not affect the trees
directly, Instead it weakens them by damaging their leaves and roots or
poisoning them with toxic substances. Nutrients present in the soil are

destroyed by the acidity. Useful microorganisms which release nutrients from

decaying organic matter, into the soil are killed off, resulting in less nutrients
being available for the plants
2

In an accident in a chemicals and fertilizers industry there was

release of CO2 gas into the atmosphere. During the next rain Sudha
got wet. Red rashes followed by itching were formed on her body.
i.

ii.
A

i.

What could be the cause of this?

Suggest some methods to reduce this effect.

This could be caused due to acid rains. The first shower of rainfall

contains acid H2CO3. When water containing acid comes in contact

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ii.

with the skin, denaturation of proteins occurs.

Many precautions can be taken to minimize such pollutions by

spreading awareness and educating people.

a. Factories can be closed down if they do not adhere to the standards

prescribed by the pollution control board.

b. Monitoring of the gases such as Carbon dioxide , sulphur dioxide

and other gases thatare released from the facories

c. Using efficient fuelswhere ever fuel is required

d. By planting trees in the surroundings

Answer the following questions . Teachers are requested to make the children
answer these questions by the way of group work
1

Think of a Model which can give signals when the pollution coming out of

2.

Suppose that a place is highly polluted and filled with gases of CO2, SO2, PM

the factory or appliance exceeds beyond the prescribed levels

etc. Think of the ways that gases will not mix or minimise the amount that
they mix with rain water to form acids and fall on the ground.

How to protect the the monuments from the pollution.

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1. Theme-Clean Air-A shared Concern

CONCEPT MAP -1

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CONCEPT MAP -2

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2. THEME- ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT LESSONS FROM THE HILLS

Answer th following .

Each question carries 1 mark

Give the reason for the enhancement of quality of mans living

Enhancement of quality of living in mans life is due to his ability and power to transform his

What was the highest rainfall that was recorded in Uttarakhand till 2012.What was the rainfall

The highest rainfall recorded till 2012 was 350.5mm in 1970.The rainfall recorded on 16th and

What is the average monthly rainfall during the months of June , July and August

In the month of June average monthly rainfall is 210mm while in July and August it is more than

What is the highest ever single day rainfall in June for the state of Uttarakhand

It is 370mm.

Name a disaster caused by natural reasons?

Tsunami , Earth quake etc.

Name a disaster caused by manmade reasons?

Bomb blast, Terrorism

Name a device used for collecting and measuring the amount of rain which falls.

Rain gauge

What do you mean by eco-friendly tourism?

Tourism without upsetting the existing balance in nature at a place is called eco

environment through technological developments

recorded on 16th a nd 17th June 2013 within a period of 24 hours

17th within a span of 24 hours was 370 mm.

600mm.

friendly tourism.
9

Who is an Ecologist?

A biologist who studies the relation between organisms and their environment is an ecologist.

10

What is meant by Disaster Management ?

Disaster management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and
responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular
preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.1

12

What is the place of Uttarakhand on the Tourism map among all states.

Uttarakhand ranks eighth on the Tourism Map.

13

What is meant by cloudburst?

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The cloudburst is a localized weather phenomena representing highly concentrated rainfall over

14

What is meant by landslide?

A large mass of rocks and earth that suddenly and quickly moves down the side of a mountain or

15

To what percentage the tourists are increased from 2001 to 2012 in KEDARNATH

378%

18

Name the place in Uttarakhand where you can find more number of Hydel power Projects

PITHORAGARH where 62 number of hydel projects are constructed.

19

What is meant by Quarrying?

20

What is the unit of rainfall?

a small area lasting for few hours.

hill

The extraction of building stone or slate or rock from the ground

mm ie millimeters of rain because the rainwater is collected in a container kept in an

open place for 24 hours and the height of the rainwater is noted in mm
21

How is the record of rainfall maintained?

The record of rainfall is maintained on a daily basis by the meteorological department in
the place. Generally the rainfall received over a year is reported to-- classify the place as
one which receives torrential rains or average or scanty rainfall.

22

When is a place said to have torrential rains?

A place which receives above 3000mm of rain per year is said to have torrential rains. Eg
Cherapunji, western coast of Indiaparticularly Karnataka and Kerala

23

Do landslides occur in all hills?

The Mountains of the Himalayas and the Western Ghats are young mountains and hence
the soil has not hardened enough. Hence the chances of occurrence of landslides are
more.

24

Why do landslides occur?

One of the reasons could be--The anthropogenic activities (Man Made activities) like
cutting the hills to make roads and houses have lead to keeping the cut edges of the hill
without support. Hence the landslide when there is a heavy rain. Such landslides can be
reduced by constructing a retaining wall along the walls of the roads etc.

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Secondly deforestations also

Answer th following .

Each question carries 2 mark

Give the factors which increased the amount of disaster in Uttarakhand

The factors which increased the affect of Uttarakhand disaster are

a. Huge expansion of hydro-power projects to meet the growing demands of the

expanding state

b. Construction of roads to cope with the lakhs of tourists Poor disaster management
2

Give the name of the forces which helped in the rescue operations of Uttarakhand disaster (or)

The Army, Air Force, Navy, Indo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP), Border Security Force(BSF),

Give the details of Human help provided in the rescue operations of the Uttarakhand disaster.
National Disaster Response Force(NDRF), Public Works Department and local administration

worked together for quick rescue operations. Several thousand soldiers were deployed for the
rescue missions. Acivists of political and social organizations were also involved in the rescue
and management of relief centres.
3

How many numbers of Hydel Power Projects were constructed in Uttarakhand?

244 Hydel Projects were constructed and an area of 15,072 ha of forests have been cleared.

List the human activities that cause disaster such as land slide.

How much area of forests have been cleared.

a. Cutting down of forests

b. Building roads for promoting tourism,

c. Unplanned structures

d. Setting up industries and

Erroneous agricultural practices o barren hill slopes

5

A report commissioned by theUnion Environment and Forests Ministry in May

2012 had warned the centre against going ahead with 24 hydropower projects
planned on the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river systems in Uttarakand.Why?
: Because It stated that
i.

The projects would destroy 22 percent of the states forestland

ii.

Affect the unique Himalayan ecology along one-third of lengths of the

two main tributaries of Ganga.

16. Uttarakhand is one of the most fragile regions suffering from poor soil stability.
What is the meaning of poor soil stability?

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i.
ii.

The soil is not hard enough to support the structures that are being built
on it.

The soil is so loose that it can get washed away with water unlike the
rocky mountains of the Aravali Mountain range.

17. What facilities were lacking in this area?

iii.
a. There were no warning systems in place,

b. no weathering monitoring systems near the major pilgrimage centres

which saw a large number of tourists year after year.
There do not seem to be any rain-gauges at Kedarnath and Badrinath and

hence one may never know how much rainfall fell at those sites and we will
8

List a few of the damages caused by the natural calamity in Utterakhund :

The floods washed away entire villages and small towns and destroyed entire
roads, cutting off large areas, as well as homes, hotels and pilgrimage sites.

Much of the infrastructure in the affected areasroads, bridges, dams and civic
facilities have been completely destroyed or damaged.
\9

Answer th following .

Each question carries 3 mark

What are the reasons for the irreversible damage that took place during the Uttarakhand

Causes for the damage that took place during the disaster are due to

disaster that took place on 16th and 17th June, 2013?

a. Cloudburst and landslides

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b. Cutting down of forests

c. Building roads for promoting tourism,

d. Unplanned structures

e. Setting up industries and

f.

Erroneous agricultural practices o barren hill slopes

g. Unscientific road building

h. Constructing hydroelectric power plants

2

A large number of Hydel projects are constructed in the state of Uttarakhand. Why?

The principle of Hydel project is that Potential energy of water falling from a height can be

utilized to produce electric energy. The Uttarakhand regions key resource is the water that
flows from high glaciers and mountains to the plains. This resource was utilized to build
hydropower projects that generate revenue mountains to the plains for the state.

What causes landslide in Uttarakhand?

Many factors contribute to the instability of slopes, but the main controlling factors are
the nature of the underlying bedrock and soil, the configuration of the slope, the
geometry of the slope, and ground-water conditions.

Improper cutting of a slope by stream erosion, wave action, glaciers, or

human activities such as road building,

Continuous and Heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt, fluctuations in groundwater levels,

Shocks or vibrations caused by earthquakes or construction activities,

Movement of heavy loads on upper slopes, or

One of these or a combination of these factors is a cause for the

landslides in Uttarakhand.
4

Fillin the blanks

a.

b.
c.

A tributary of Ganga

An instrument used to measure the rain fall___________

Number of villages affected in Tehri is ____________

d. One of the causes of disaster in Uttarakhand is _____________

e. Uttarakhand ranks _________among all states on the Tourism map

Answer th following .

Each question carries 5 mark

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OPEN TEXT BOOK ASSESSMENT FOR CLASS IX (SCIENCE) PREPARED BY ZIET BHUBANESWAR

When the flood struck in Uttarakhand about 28 million tourists were visiting the state,
while the local people are close to that number.

a. Does it really affect the ecological conditions of that region? If yes how?
b. Do you think will it be a wise decision to ban tourism to this state?
Justify your answer.

a. Yes, by cutting down the forest and dynamiting the mountains for building
roads and hotels for promoting tourism will disturb the bio diversity because of
the following reasons

When a large population is concentrated over a small area it will have

the effect of
I.

II.

decrease of clean water

decrease of the number of forest/deforestation to make a new

house or had been converted into farmlands

III.

Increase of waste on the environment. Its condition make a unhealthy

IV.

Increase of infectious disease. So the people get sick easily

V.

sanitation

Due to increase in population, greezone becomes smaller and smaller

because of the construction of various facilities such as buildings, roads
etc . Thereby only small amount of water can be absorbed into the soil.

b.

The decision to ban tourism completely from this state is not correct. It
will affect the lively hood of local people who earn their bread and
butter. States revenue also gets affected due to this , Instead the
following measures can be taken up

1. Instead of allowing a big group, people in small chunks can be allowed to

visit.

2. Strict rules are to be enforced on the pilgrims and tourists in the

disposing the Waste materials for promoting the healthy environment

3. The tourists as well as local people should be properly trained to face any
natural disaster without disturbing the nature.
4. All hilly roads must have adequate drainage systems to fight with natural
calamities

5. There has to be a mandatory environmental impact assessment for the

construction of all state and national high ways and broadening of roads
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OPEN TEXT BOOK ASSESSMENT FOR CLASS IX (SCIENCE) PREPARED BY ZIET BHUBANESWAR

What are the tourism related activities that affect the environment at a place?
a. Construction of new roads and bridges and broadening of the ones that already
exist.

b. Building many hotels and guest houses to accommodate tourists

c.
d.

Building huge power projects to meet the growing demands of energy of the
expanding state

Dumping of huge quantities of organic and in-organic waste.

e. Deforestation for growing demands of space

Heavy traffic that pollute air and water, on fragile regions
3

The horrific disaster that struck Uttarakhand has been assessed as a mix of natural and
manmade reasons. Justify the statement

A heavy rainfall, cloudbursts and landslides were the natural causes of

Uttarakhand disaster. In addition to the nature man also is equally responsible for
this disaster.
1. Riverbed Mining is done in an area of 1.608 hac.
2. .About 15,072 ha of forests have been cleared.. The region is prone to
landslides.

3. There are 244 Hydel projects constructed to satisfy the energy needs.
This resulted in evacuation of many people. Also People lost their
livelihood. There are reports to say that large part of power generated is
lost during transmission .
4. There are no readiness programmes to face the calamities.
5. Improper building constructions.
6.

Improper agricultural practices on barren hill slopes,

7.

Unscientific road building and

8. The extraction of building stones from open ground. . A report commissioned by

the Union Environment warned the centre against going ahead with 24 hydel
projects planned on the Alakananda and Bhagirathi river systems which will
destroy the 22 percent of the states forest land and eco system.

9. There is a1000 per cent increase in vehicular traffic in the last eight years which
resulted in the higher increase of landslides. More number of people allowed for

tourism during the monsoon season. There are no rain fall measuring devices set
up at Kedarnath and Badrinath to know how much rain fell and find out the
causes.

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OPEN TEXT BOOK ASSESSMENT FOR CLASS IX (SCIENCE) PREPARED BY ZIET BHUBANESWAR

What are the advantages of constructing Dams

1. Clean, efficient, and reliable form of energy.

2. Does not emit any direct pollutants or greenhouse gases.

3. While the initial cost is high, they are very inexpensive to operate.

4. Electricity generated by hydro-electric power plants is the cheapest electricity

generated.

5. Dams prevent floods.

6. Dams store water for irrigation in summer seasons and dry months. Many desert areas
can now farm due to dams and canals that supply water.

7. Dams supply water for local drinking needs.

8. Allows for fish farming.
5

What is the negative impact of constructing HYDEL POWER PROJECTS?

1. In flat basins large dams cause flooding of large tracts of land, destroying local animals
and habitats.

2. People have to be displaced causing change in life style and customs, even causing

emotional scarring. About 40 to 80 million people have been displaced physically by

dams worldwide.

3. Large amounts of plant life are submerged and decay anaerobically (in the absence of

oxygen) generating greenhouse gases like methane. It is estimated that a hydroelectric

power plant produces 3.5 times the amount of greenhouse gases as a thermal power
plant burning fossil fuels.

4. The migratory pattern of river animals like salmon and trout are affected.

5. Dams restrict sediments that are responsible for the fertile lands downstream. Farmers
use chemical fertilizers and pesticides to compensate for the loss in productivity.

6. Salt water intrusion into the deltas means that the saline water cannot be used for
irrigation.

7. Large dams are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and cause the spread of disease.

8. Farmers downstream who used to wait for the flooding of the fields to plant their seeds
are affected.

9. Dams serve as a heat sink, and the water is hotter than the normal river water. This
warm water when released into the river downstream can affect animal life.

10. Peak power operations can change the water level thirty to forty feet in one day and
can kill the animals staying at the shorelines.

Around 400,000 km2 of land worldwide has been submerged due to the construction
of dams.

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OPEN TEXT BOOK ASSESSMENT FOR CLASS IX (SCIENCE) PREPARED BY ZIET BHUBANESWAR

State whether the following statements are True or False.

a. Every community must get to know its own features and surroundings: the natural
environment as well as environment built by human beings.

b. The number of Hydel Projects constructed in Uttarakhand is 244 and 1500 ha of forest
was diverted.

c. The highest ranfall in June for the state of Uttarakhand being 350.5 mm.
d. The river sabri is the Tributary of Ganga.
2

Fillin the blanks :

a. Number of Hydel projects that were constructed in Uttarakhand till 2012 are_______.
b. _________ and ____________ rivers are the tributaries of Ganga.
c. The average monthly rainfall in Uttarakhand in the months of July and August is more
than____________mm.

d. Uttarakhand disaster occurred on ____ and _________ of June, 2013.

e. What else does one expect from the mountain if there is heavy tourist rush at

vulnerable areas. The Himalaya is a young mountain and you dynamite it to build

roads. Landslides are bound to happen, says a senior officer of ________________

Meteorological Centre.

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OPEN TEXT BOOK ASSESSMENT FOR CLASS IX (SCIENCE) PREPARED BY ZIET BHUBANESWAR

2. Theme- Environment and Development- Lessons from the Hills

CONCEPT MAP-1

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CONCEPT MAP-2

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OPEN TEXT BOOK ASSESSMENT FOR CLASS IX (SCIENCE) PREPARED BY ZIET BHUBANESWAR