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PANIMALAR ENGINEERING COLLEGE

GE8291-ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
UNIT – III NATURAL RESOURCES
1. What are the major causes of deforestation?
 Developmental projects &Mining operations.
 Raw materials for industries.
 Shifting cultivation &Forest fires.
2. Define sustainable forestry?
Sustainable forestry is the optimum use of forest resources, which meet needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
3. What are the consequences of timber extraction?
Deforestation, soil erosion, landslides, loss of biodiversity, loss of tribal culture and reduce the thickness of
forest.
4. How are the forests useful to mankind?
 They are habitats to millions of plants, animals and wildlife.
 They recycle rainwater and remove pollutants from air.
 They moderate temperature and weather and help to maintain humidity.
5. What are dams? Write the merits and demerits of dams?
Dams are the massive artificial structures built across the river in order to store water.
Merits
 Dams are built control floods and store flood water.
 Dams are used for drinking and agricultural purposes.
 Dams are built for generating electricity.
Demerits
• Displacement of tribal people.
• Loss of forests, flora and fauna.
• Landslides, sedimentation and siltation occur.
6. Discuss the problems of over – exploitation of ground water.
• Decrease of ground water.
• Ground subsidence.
• Earth quake and landslides.
7. What is mining? Mention the methods of mining.
 Mining is the process of extracting mineral resources and fossil fuels like coal form the earth.
 Surface Mining: it involves mining of minerals from the shallow deposits.
 Underground mining: It involves mining of minerals from deep deposits.
8. State the environmental effects of extracting & using mineral resources?
 Ground water contamination.
 Surface water pollution & Air pollution.
 Subsidence of land.
 During the mining operations the vibrations are developed , which leads to earthquake
 Large quantities of sediments are transported by water erosion.
 Noise pollution is the major problem from mining operations.
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9. Differentiate renewable and non–renewable sources of energy. Give example.

S. No Renewable energy Non – Renewable energy
1. It is regenerated continuously Cannot be regenerated
2. Inexhaustible Exhausted
3. Example : Solar , wind , Tidal Example : Coal , Petroleum , Natural gas
10. What are the merits of renewable – energy resources.
 Unlimited & Reliable supply.
 Provides energy security.
 Fits into sustainable development concept.
11. What is nuclear energy?
 Nuclear and nuclear fusion reactions a large amount of energy is released through a chain reaction. This energy
is called nuclear energy.
12. What is Geo Thermal energy?
 The energy harnessed from the high temperature present inside the earth is called geo thermal energy.
13. What is Bio gas? Mention its uses.
 Bio gas is the mixture of gases such as methane, CO2, hydrogen sulphide etc;
 It contains about 65% of methane gas as a major constituent.
Uses: For cooking food, Heating water, to run engines, Used as an illuminant. Used in fuel cells for producing
electricity.
14. Define under- nutrition and mal nutrition?

 Under – nutrition: People who cannot buy enough food to meet their basic energy needs (carbohydrates)
suffer from under nutrition. They receive < 90 % of these minimum dietary calories.
 Mal Nutrition: Besides the minimum calorie, we also need proteins, minerals, vitamins, iron and iodine.
Deficiency or lack of nutrition leads to mal nutrition resulting in several diseases.
15. What is overgrazing? Write any two adverse effects caused by overgrazing.
 Process of eating away the vegetation without giving a chance to regenerate is called overgrazing.
Effects:- Land degradation, soil erosion, loss of useful species.
16. What the advantages and disadvantages of modern agriculture?
Advantages:
 It makes use of hybrid seeds of single crop variety, high tech equipments, lot of fertilizers, pesticides and water
to produce large amount of single crops.
Disadvantages:
 Micronutrient imbalance, Nitrate pollution (Blue Baby syndrome)
 Eutrophication.
 Death of non – target species & Bio-magnification.
17. What are the super pests?
 Some pest species usually survive even after the pesticide spray, which generates highly resistant generations.
 They are immune to all types of pesticides and are called super pests
18. Define Eutrophication.
A large amount of N, P and K fertilizers used in crop fields is washed off by the runoff water and reaches the
water bodies causing over nourishment of the lakes.This process is known as Eutrophication.
19. What is bio magnification?
Many of the pesticides are non – biodegradable and keep on concentrating in the food chain. This process is
called bio magnification.
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Example: DDT magnification in food chain.

20. What is water logging?
Water logging is the land where water stand for most of the year.
21. What is salinity?
The water not absorbed by the soil, undergoes evaporation leaving behind a thin layer of dissolved salts in the
topsoil. This process of accumulation of salts is called salinity of the soil.
22. What is soil erosion?
It is the process of removal of top layer of the soil from one place to another.
Soil erosion also removes the soil components and surface liter.
23. What are the reasons for land degradation?
 Water logging,
 soil erosion,
 salination and
 Contamination of soil with industrial wastes.
24. What is desertification? Give two reasons for it.
It is a progressive destruction or degradation of arid and semi arid lands to desert.
Reasons:- Deforestation ,overgrazing, mining and quarrying.
25. Define landslide. Write its effects.
The movement of earthy materials like rock, mud, soil and debris from higher region to lower region due to
gravitational pull is called landslides.
Effects:- Block roads, soil erosion, damage of houses, crop yield, live stock etc.,

PART - B
3. Natural Resources
1. Explain the causes, effects and preventive measures of deforestation.
Deforestation is the process of removal of or elimination of forest resources due to natural or man-made
activities. Deforestation means destruction of forests.
Causes of Deforestation:-
1) Shifting cultivation:-
There are 300 million people living as shifting cultivators who practices slash & burn agriculture. They clear more
than 5 lakhs hectare of forests for shifting cultivation annually. In India, we have this practice in North east & A.P.
2) Fuel Requirements:-
Increasing demands for fuel wood by the growing population in India both rural and tribal people depend on
forest for their daily need of fuel wood.
This puts a lot of pressure on forest causing deforestation.
3) Raw materials for industrial use:-
Wood for making boxes, furniture, railway sleepers, plywood, match-boxes, pulp for paper industry have
exerted pressure on forests. Ply wood is in great demand for packing tea for Tea industry of Assam while fir tree wood
is exploited for packing apples in J&K.
4) Development projects: -
Massive destruction of forest occurs for various development projects like hydroelectric projects, big dam, road
constructions, mining.
5) Growing food needs: -
In developing countries that is the main reason for deforestation. To meet the demands of rapidly growing
population, agricultural lands & settlements are created permanently by clearing forests.
6) Over grazing;
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The poor in the tropics mainly rely on wood as a source of fuel leading to loss of tree cover & the cleared lands are
turned into grazing lands. Over grazing by cattle further leads to degradation.
7) Forest fire.
These may be natural or manmade and cause huge loss of forest areas.
Consequences / Effect of Deforestation:
i) Global warming:
❖ Cutting and burning of trees add more CO2 into the atmosphere and global warming is enhanced.
ii) Loss of biodiversity:
❖ Biodiversity is lost and along with that genetic diversity is eroded.
❖ Many species of plants and animals are very sensitive to any disturbances and changes.
iii) Soil erosion:
❖ Soil erosion and loss of soil fertility increases due to deforestation.
❖ In India every year 600 million tons of soil gets eroded.
iv) Affects Hydrological cycle:
❖ Hydrological cycle is affected by deforestation.
❖ It also affects the annual rain fall.
v) Landslides and flood:
❖ The roots of trees will hold the soil together.
❖ So deforestation leads to often landslide and flood.
vi) Loss of food grains and unemployment:
❖ Due to soil erosion soil fertility is lost and affects the crop yield.
❖ This causes loss of food grain and also unemployment.
Prevention measures:-
1) Steps should be taken by the govt. to discourage the immigration of people into forest land.
2) Pant more trees.
3) Education & Awareness programmes must be conducted.
4) Strict implementation of law of Forest Conservation Act.
5) Use of alternate fuel.
6) Forest fire must be controlled by modern techniques.
7) Discourage the use of wood as fuel.
8) Control over grazing by cattle.
9) Discourage developmental and mining activities inside the forest.
2. Explain the effects (or) impacts of Modern agriculture.
I. Fertilizer related problems:
i. Micro nutrient imbalance (due to macronutrient (N, P, K):)
Excess N decreases Zn, Co, Fe. Excess K decreases vitamin C, carotene nutrient in food. Excess fertilizer
used in Punjab & Haryana has caused deficiency of Zn in soil, which affect the productivity of soil.
ii. Nitrate pollution (Blue baby syndrome).
Excess nitrogen fertilizer used in fields leached into the soil & contaminate water. When the nitrate
concentration exceeds 25 mg/l, they cause blue baby syndrome. It affects infants and leads to death.
iii. Eutrophication:- Excess use of N, P in the agricultural fields is washed off along with runoff water and reach
the water bodies causing over nourishment of lakes. This process is known as eutrophication. This leads to
algal blooming in lakes. These algae grow fast and complete their life cycle quickly and add dead organic matter.
This pollutes water and affects aquatic life.
II. Pesticides related problems:-
First generation pesticides:
❖ These are used to kill the pest.
❖ For example: Sulphur, arsenic, lead, etc
Second generation pesticides:
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Although these pesticides protect the crops from pests, they produce number of side effects
i. Death of non target species: Pesticides not only kill target species but also kill several non- target species
useful to us. It kills soil organisms & slow down decomposition of organic matter.
ii. Produce new pests: Some pest species survive even after the pesticide spray, which generate highly resistant
generations. They are immune to all type of pesticides & are called super pests.
iii. Biomagnification: Many of the pesticides are non- biodegradable and keep on accumulating in the food
chain. This process is called bio magnification. Human beings in high tropic level are harmful. DDT causes
thinning of egg shells in birds.
iv. In human health:
Risk of cancer, reduce fertility, immunity, neurological disorder.
III. Water logging:
Surface water logged land is that land where the water is at or near the surface and water stands for most of
the year.
Causes:- Excess water supply to crop lands, Heavy rain, Poor drainage
Effects:
1. Pore voids in soil gets filled with water & water table raises
2. Soil – air gets depleted. Roots of plant do not get air for respiration. Mechanical strength of soil decreases.
Crop yield falls.
3. Water logging from rice fields release methane to the atmosphere results in global warming.
Prevention:
❖ Prevent excess irrigation
❖ Use drip irrigation
❖ Use sub-surface drainage technology
❖ Bio drainage with trees like eucalyptus
IV. Salinity problems: - Water which is not absorbed by the
soil undergoes evaporation, leaving behind a thin layer of dissolved
salts in the top soil. This accumulation of salts is called salinity.
Causes:
▪ Excess irrigation
▪ Irrigation with canal & ground water contain
more dissolved salts than in rain water
▪ Dry climate where evaporation rate is more
Effects:
• Stunt plant growth
• Lower crop yield
• Most crop cannot tolerate high salinity
• Kills plant & ruins land
• Soil becomes alkaline
Remedy:
➢ Salt deposit is removed by flushing them out by applying more good quality water to soil
➢ Using sub- surface drainage system, salt water is flushed slowly.
Prevention:
❖ Reduce irrigation
❖ Switch to salt tolerant crop like cotton, sugar beet
❖ Recharge soil with fertile ones
❖ Not to grow any crop for 2-5 years continuously.
3. Explain the energy resources and their significances.
(a)Renewable (or) Non-conventional energy Sources:
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Renewable energy sources are natural resources which can be regenerated continuously and are
inexhaustible. They can be used again and again.
1.SOLAR ENERGY:- It is derived from sun.
Types of solar energy
Solar heat collectors: Solar heat collectors made of stones; bricks etc absorb heat during day time and release it at
night. This keeps the rooms warmer at night in cold countries.
Solar cells:
They are known as photo voltaic cells. Solar cell consists of P and N type semiconductors. When solar rays
falls on top layer of P- type semiconductor, the electrons from the valence band get promoted to the conduction
band and cross the p-n junction into n-type semi-conductor.the potential difference is produced, which causes a
flow of electrons which produces electricity.
A group of solar cells joined together is called a solar panel (Battery) which can be used to harness large amount of
solar energy.
Uses: Used in calculators, electronic watches. Street lights, water pumps to run radios and TVs.etc….

Solar water heater: It consists of an insulated box inside of which is painted with black paint. It is also
provided with a glass lid to receive and store solar heat. Inside the box it has black painted copper coil, through
which cold water is allowed to flow in, which get heated up and flows out into a storage tank. From the storage
tank water is then supplied through pipes.

Solar cooker: They make use of solar heat by reflecting a radiation using a mirror to a glass sheet, which
covers the black insulated box consisting of the food to be cooked. The food cooked using a solar cooker is
nutritious but the drawback is that it cannot be used in night and on cloudy days.

2.WIND ENERGY
Definition: Moving air is called wind.
✓ Energy recovered from the force of the wind is called wind energy.
✓ The energy possessed by wind is because of its high speed.
✓ The wind energy is harnessed by making use of wind mills.
Harvesting of wind energy :-It is derived from high speed winds using wind mills. The blade of the wind mills
continues to rotate due to force of striking wind. The rotational motion of blades drives a number of machines like
water pump, flour mills. When the wind mill is attached to a turbine which turns and generates electricity.
Wind Mills: The strike of blowing wind on the blades of the wind mill makes it rotating continuously.
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The rotational motion of the blade drives a number of machines like water pump, flour mills and electric
generators.

(OR)

Fig. Wind mill

Wind farms
When a large number of wind mills are installed and joined together in a definite pattern it forms a wind farm.
The wind farms produce a large amount of electricity.
Conditions
The minimum speed required for satisfactory working of a wind generator is 15 km/hr.
Advantages
It does not cause any air pollution.It is very cheap.
3 .OCEAN ENERGY: It can be generated by following ways.
1. Tidal energy (or) Tidal power
Ocean tides, produced by gravitational forces of sun and moon, contain enormous amount of energy.
✓ The “high tide” and “low tide” refer to the rise and fall of water in the oceans.
✓ The tidal energy can be harnessed by constructing a tidal barrage.
✓ During high tide, the sea-water is allowed to flow into the reservoir of the barrage and rotates the
turbine, which intern produces electricity by rotating the generators.
✓ During low tide, when the sea level is low, the sea water stored in the barrage reservoir is allowed to
flow into the sea and again rotates the turbine.

2. Ocean thermal energy (OTE): There is often large temperature difference between the surface level and deeper
level of the tropical oceans. This temperature difference can be utilized to generate electricity. The energy available
due to the difference in temperature of water is called ocean thermal energy.
Condition: The temperature difference should be of 200C or more is required between surface water and deeper water.
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Process
The warm surface water of ocean is used to boil a low boiling
OTE
liquid like ammonia.
• The high vapour pressure of the liquid, formed by boiling is
then to turn the turbine of the generator and generates
electricity.
• The cold water from the deeper ocean is pumped
• to cool and condense the vapour into liquid.

Merits of Renewable Energy Sources:

✓ Unlimited supply
✓ Energy security
✓ Reliable
✓ Decentralized energy production
✓ The process keeps on going continuously for 24 hours a day.

4.GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
❖ The Energy harnessed from the hot rocks present inside the earth
is called geothermal Energy.
❖ High temperature, high pressure steam fields exist below
the earth’s surface in many places.
❖ This heat comes from the fission of radioactive material
naturally present in the rocks.
❖ In some places, the steam water comes out of the ground
naturally through cracks in the form of natural geysers as in
Manikaran, Kullu and Sohana, Haryana.
❖ Sometimes the steam or boiling water underneath the earth does not
find any place to come out.
❖ We can artificially drill a hole up to the hot rocks and by putting a
pipe in it make the steam or hot water gush out through the pipe at
high pressure which turns the turbine of a generator to produce
electricity.
❖ In USA and New Zealand, there are several geothermal plants working successfully.

(b) Non renewable (or) Conventional Energy sources

COAL:
Coal is a fossil fuel formed by the decay of vegetable matter under pressure and heat. It is black or brownish-
black in colour.
Varieties or Stages of coal:

Wood Peat Lignite Bituminous coal Anthracite

Advantages
• Coal is a ready-made fuel.
• It is relatively cheap.
• Coal supply will last longer than oil or gas.
Disadvantages
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Pollutes air.
PETROLEUM:
• Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring liquid found under the ocean beds.
• It is formed by the decomposition of dead animals and plants.
• It is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons.
• The approximate length range is C5H12 to C18H38.
• It is usually black or dark brown.

NATURAL GAS:
The gas which is found above the oil wells is natural gas. The main composition is methane.Its calorific value is
12000-14000k.cal/m3
 When chilled to very cold temperatures, approximately -260 degrees Fahrenheit, natural gas changes into a
liquid and can be stored.
 If natural gas contains lower hydro carbons, it is called dry gas.
 If natural gas contains higher hydro carbons, it is called wet gas.

NUCLEAR ENERGY:
Nuclear Fission
• The word fission means to split apart.
• Splitting of heavier nuclei into lighter nuclei.
In chain reaction, neutrons released by the splitting of the atom go off and strike other uranium atoms. This energy
can be harnessed to generate electricity.
92U
235
+0n1→56Ba139+36Kr94+30n1
Nuclear fusion:
➢ Fusion means joining smaller nuclei to make a larger nucleus.
➢ The sun uses nuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium atoms.
1H +1H →2He
2 2 4

4. Discuss the causes of soil erosion and methods of preventing it?

Definition:
❖ Soil erosion is the process of removal of superficial layer of sol from one place to another.
❖ Soil erosion also removes the soil components and surface liter.
❖ Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil.
❖ It is a form of soil degradation.
Types of soil erosion:
i) Normal erosion:
❖ It is caused by the gradual removal of top soil by the natural processes.
❖ The rate of erosion is slower.
ii) Accelerated erosion:
❖ It is mainly caused by man-made activities.
❖ The rate of erosion is much faster than the rate of formation of soil.

Human effects of soil erosion:

❖ Soil fertility is lost because of loss of top soil layer.
❖ Loss of its ability to hold water and sediments
❖ Sediments runoff can pollute water and kill aquatic life.
Causes of soil erosion:
i) Water: Water affects soil erosion in the form of rain, runoff, rapid flow, wave action.
ii) Wind: Wind is the important climatic agent, who carry away the fine particle of soil and creates soil erosion.
iii) Biotic agents: Overgrazing, mining and deforestation are major biotic agents, cause soil erosion.
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iv) Land slide: It also causes soil erosion.

v) Construction: Construction of dams, buildings, roads removes the
protective vegetal cover and leads to soil erosion.
Control of soil erosion or Soil conservation practices
i) No-till farming:
❖ No-tillage farming is a farming practice where the soil is minimally
disturbed
from planting to harvest.
❖ During the planting process, holes are drilled into the soil where the
seed will be planted and then covered up.
❖ This method leaves ground surface intact, along with the residues
from the previous crop.
❖ This helps to maintain the long-term productivity of the land.
❖ No-tillage farmers do not lose precious fertile topsoil.
ii) Contour Farming:
❖ This method is adopted for gently sloped land.
❖ This involves planting crops in rows across the
contour of gently sloped land.
❖ Contour farming, the practice of tilling sloped land along
lines of consistent elevation in order to conserve rainwater and
to reduce soil losses from surface erosion.
❖ Contour farming has been practiced for centuries in parts of the
world where irrigation farming is important.

iii) Terracing:
❖ Terracing reduces soil erosion on steep slopes by concerting the land into a series of broad, level terraces.
❖ This retains water for crops at each level and reduces soil
erosion by water runoff.
❖ This farming method has made cultivation of crops in hilly or
mountainous regions.
❖ When it rains, instead of rain carrying away the soil nutrients
and plants down the slope, they flow to the next terrace.
❖ Every step has an outlet which channels water to the next step.
❖ This helps in keeping some areas dry and others wet.

iv) Alley Cropping or Agro forestry:

❖ In this method crops are planted together in strips or alleys
between trees and shrubs that can provide fruits and fuel
wood.
❖ The trees and shrubs provide shade which reduce water loss by
evaporation and preserve soil moisture.
❖ Alley Cropping is planting rows of trees at wide spacing
with a companion crop grown in the alleyways between the
rows.
❖ Common examples of alley cropping plantings include
wheat, corn, soybeans.
❖ Fine hardwoods like walnut, oak, and pecan are favored tree species in alley cropping systems.

v) Wind Breaks or Shelter Belts:

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❖ Wind breaks and shelter belts or trees are

established to reduce wind erosion and also for
retaining soil moisture.
❖ Shelter belts are rows of trees, usually
along fence lines.
❖ They are planted mainly to protect
crops from cold winds, but also to give
shade in hot weather.
❖ In regions such as Canterbury where
there is a lot of cultivated land, shelter
belts also reduce wind erosion.
5.Explain the role of an individual in conserving the natural resources.
1. Conservation of energy:
• Switch off lights, fans & other electrical goods when not in use.
• Use solar cooker for cooking food.
• Use pressure cookers.
• Dry clothes in sun light.
• Grow trees to get cool breeze.
• Use bicycle or walk instead of using cars, scooters.
• Use public transportation as for as possible.
2. Conservation of water:
• Use minimum water for all domestic purpose.
• Reuse the soapy water to wash courtyards & drive ways etc.,
• Waste water kitchen, bath room can be used for watering the plants.
• Check for water leaks in pipes.
• Use drip irrigation.
• Build rain water harvesting system.
3. Conservation of soil:
• Grow different types of plants to prevent soil erosion.
• Don’t uproot the trees while constructing the house.
• Avoid using the strong flow of water.
• Use sprinkling irrigation to prevent soil erosion.
• Use green manure.
• Avoid using fertilizers, pesticides.
• Use mixed cropping to protect soil nutrients.
4. Conservation of food:
• Eat minimum amount of food.
• Avoid over eating
• Don’t waste food.
• Don’t cook food unnecessarily.
• Cook only required amount.
• Don’t store large amount of food grains.
5. Conservation of forest:
• Plant more trees.
• Use non- timber products.
• Minimum use of papers & fuel wood.
• Avoid developmental activities in forest areas.

6.Describe the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.

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Major mines which are known for causing severe problems are given below:
➢ Jaduguda Uranium Mine, Jharkhand- exposing local people to radioactive hazards.
➢ Jharia coal mines, Jharkhand- underground fire leading to land subsidence and forced displacement of
people.
➢ Sukinda chromite mines, Orissa- Seeping of hexavalent chromium into river posing serious health
hazard, Cr6+ being highly toxic and carcinogenic.
➢ Kudremukh iron ore mine, Karnataka- causing river pollution and threat to biodiversity.
➢ East coast Bauxite mine, Orissa-Land encroachment and issue of rehabilitation unsettled.
➢ North-Eastern Coal Fields, Assam-Very high sulphur contamination of groundwater.
Impacts of mining: Mining is done to extract minerals from deep deposits in soil.
Environmental damages caused by mining activities are as follows:
❖ Devegetation and defacing of lands: Mining requires removal of vegetation along with underlying
soil mantle and overlying rock masses. This results in destruction of landscape in the area.
❖ Subsidence of land: Subsidence of mining areas results in tilting of buildings, cracks in houses,
buckling of roads, bending of rail tracks and leaking of gas from cracked pipe lines leading to serious
disasters.
❖ Groundwater contamination: Mining pollutes the groundwater. Sulphur, usually present as an
impurity in many ores is known to get converted into sulphuric acid through microbial action, thereby
making the water acidic.
❖ Surface water pollution: The acid mine drainage often contaminates the nearby streams and lakes.
The acidic water, radioactive substances like uranium, heavy metals also contaminate the water bodies
and kill aquatic animals.
❖ Air pollution: In order to separate and purify the metal from other impurities in the ore, smelting is
done which emits enormous quantities of air pollutants. Oxides of sulphur, arsenic, cadmium and lead
etc. shoot up in the atmosphere near the smelters and the public suffers from several health problems.
❖ Occupational Health Hazards: Miners working in different type of mines suffer from asbestosis,
silicosis, black lung disease.
Remedial measures
Adopting eco-friendly mining technology
✓ Utilization of low grade ores by using microbial – leaching technique. In this method, the ores are
inoculated with the desired strains of bacteria like Thiobacillus ferroxidans, which remove the
impurities and leave the pure mineral.
✓ Re-vegetating mined areas with appropriate plants
✓ Gradual restoration of flora
✓ Prevention of toxic drainage discharge.
Case studies
1. Mining and quarrying in Udaipur
• Soap stones, building stone, and dolomite mines spread over 15,000 hectares in Udaipur have caused
many adverse impacts on environment.
• About 150 tons of explosives are used per month in blasting.
• The Maton mines have badly polluted the Ahar river.
• The hills around the mines are suffering from acute soil erosion.
• The waste water flows towards a big tank of “Bag Dara".
• Due to scarcity of water people are compelled to use this effluent for irrigation purpose.
• The animals like tiger, lion, deer, and birds have disappeared from the mining area.
2. Mining in Sariska and Tiger Reserve in Aravallis
✓ The Aravalli range is spread over about 692 Km in the North-west India covering Gujrat, Rajasthan,
Haryana, and Delhi.
✓ The hill is rich in mineral resources.
✓ Mining operations within and around the Sariska Tiger reserve has left many areas permanently
infertile and barren.
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✓ The precious wild life is under serious threat.

7.Explain the effects of over-utilization of ground water (or) Consequences of overdrawing of ground water
1. Decrease of ground water
Due to increased usage of ground water, the ground water level decreases.
Reason
Other reason for decrease of ground water is
(a) The erratic and inadequate rainfall results in reduction in storage of water in reservoirs.
(b) The building construction activities are sealing the permeable soil zone, reducing the area for percolation of rain
water
and increase in surface runoff
2. Ground subsidence: When the ground water withdrawal is more than its recharge rate, the sediments in the aquifer
get compacted , which results in sinking of overlaying land surface this process is known as subsidence
Reason
1. Structural damage in buildings
2. Fracture in pipes.
3. Reversing the flow of canal and tidal flooding.
3. Lowering of water table
Over utilization of ground water in arid and semi-arid regions for agricultural disturbs the state of
equilibrium of the reservoir in the region. This causes following problems.
1. Lowering of water table.
2. Decrease pressure in the aquifers and changes in the speed and direction of water flow
4. Intrusion of salt water
In coastal area, over-explosion of ground water would lead to rapid intrusion of salt water from sea
problem
Water cannot be used for drinking and agriculture
5. Earthquake
Over-utilization of ground water leads to decrease in water level, which causes earthquake, landslide
and famine
6. Drying up of wells
As a result of over utilization of ground water, the level of ground water getting depleted at much
faster rates than they can be regenerated. This leads to drying up of dugs wells as well as bore well.
8. Discuss the effects of dams on forest and tribal people.
Definition: Dams are artificial structures built across the river to create reservoir to store water.
Effects of dam on forest:
1. Thousands of hectares of forest are cleared for river valley projects
2. Forest is also cleared for residential, office, buildings, storing materials, laying roads etc
3. Hydro electric projects have led to loss of forest.
4. Dam construction kills wild animals & aquatic life
5. Hydro electric projects spread water borne diseases.
6. Water logging leads to salinity & reduces the fertility of land.( Examples)
Narmada Sagar Project = submerged 3.5 lakhs hectares of forest
Tehri dam = submerged 1000 hectares of forest.
Effects of dam on tribal people:
1. Displacement of tribal people.
2. Cultural change affects the tribal people mentally & physically.
3. They do not accommodate the modern food habits & life styles.
4. Tribal’s are ill treated by modern society.
5. They are recognized and compensated.
6. Their body condition will not suit the new area & are affected by many diseases.
Benefits of Constructing Dams:
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Control flood & store water.

Divert water from river into a channel.
Used for drinking & agricultural purposes.
Built for generating electricity.
Used for recreational purposes.
Navigation & fishery can be developed in dam areas.
Help for the socio economic development of the society.
Used for irrigation during dry seasons.
Prevent drought.
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