Which one of the following is NOT a cause of depletion in groundwater ?
- A.Afforestation
- B.Loss of forests
- C.Excessive pumping of groundwater
- D.Construction of large scale concrete buildings
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Afforestation. Planting trees helps recharge groundwater: roots and leaf litter slow the run-off and let rain soak into the soil and down to the aquifers.
Groundwater is replenished when rainwater percolates through soil and rock into aquifers. A forest cover breaks the force of rain, holds the soil in place and keeps the ground porous, so more water seeps in instead of rushing away into streams. That is why afforestation, check dams, recharge pits and rainwater harvesting are all used to raise falling water tables. Groundwater falls when withdrawal is greater than recharge, a serious problem in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and many cities.
B is wrong because loss of forests leaves the soil bare and compacted, so rain runs off quickly and recharge falls. C is wrong because pumping more water than is recharged, especially through tube wells for irrigation, lowers the water table directly. D is wrong because concrete buildings and paved surfaces seal the ground so that rain cannot percolate, which is why cities lose recharge.
Exam tip: Depletion = over-extraction plus less recharge (deforestation, paving); afforestation and rainwater harvesting restore it.
Practice Questions
View allWith reference to Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary, Sultanpur National Park, Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary and Wadhwana Wetland, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. All of them are Ramsar sites.
2. All of them are naturally formed wetlands.
3. All of them are birding sites.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 3 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Statement 1 is right: all four were declared Ramsar wetlands of international importance in 2021, Sultanpur and Bhindawas in Haryana, and Thol and Wadhwana in Gujarat.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs related to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals :
I. Goal 1 : End poverty in all forms everywhere
II. Goal 2 : Ensure healthy lives
III. Goal 3 : Ensure quality education
IV. Goal 4 : Achieve gender equality
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A.One
- B.Two
- C.Three
- D.All the four
Show answer
Only pair I is correct; pairs II, III and IV each give a goal the theme of the next goal.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is NOT a reason of decrease in biodiversity?
- A.Large scale deforestation
- B.Exploitation of forest produce
- C.Maintaining sacred groves
- D.Encroachment in forest areas
Show answer
Sacred groves are patches of forest protected by local communities for religious reasons, so they conserve biodiversity instead of reducing it.
Read the full explanation →The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted by the UNO in place of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 2015, aim to achieve the 17 goals by the year
- A.2020
- B.2030
- C.2040
- D.2050
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The SDGs form the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all UN member states in September 2015.
Read the full explanation →Which organisation publishes worldwide list of endangered species?
- A.The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- B.The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
- C.The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- D.The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
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The IUCN publishes the Red List of Threatened Species, the world's main list of species at risk. The IUCN was founded in 1948 and has its headquarters at Gland in Switzerland.
Read the full explanation →