Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues and Problems (India) — Practice

Question 1

Describe any three causes of land degradation in India with suitable examples.

Accepted Answer

LAND DEGRADATION IN INDIA — THREE CAUSES: (1) WATER EROSION: When deforested hillslopes receive heavy rainfall, topsoil is washed away by surface runoff. Loss of vegetation removes the root binding that holds soil together. Affected regions: Himalayan foothills (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh), Eastern Ghats, Northeast India. Ravines (gullies) — most severe in the Chambal basin (Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh). (2) WATERLOGGING: In areas with intensive canal irrigation, water seeps deep into the soil. In poorly drained clay soils, the water table rises, making the soil waterlogged — roots cannot get oxygen, crops fail. Affected regions: Punjab and Haryana canal-irrigated districts (Sirsa, Hisar, parts of Ludhiana). Also affects parts of western UP and Rajasthan's irrigation commands. (3) SOIL SALINISATION/ALKALISATION: When irrigation water evaporates, it leaves behind dissolved salts. Over years, salt concentrations build up to levels toxic to most crops. Affected regions: Canal-irrigated areas of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and UP. Coastal Rann of Kutch (natural salinity). ADDITIONAL CAUSE (for 4-mark answers): OVERGRAZING: Excessive animal grazing removes ground cover, exposes soil to wind erosion. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and drylands of Maharashtra are affected. Wind erosion from overgrazing contributes to Thar Desert expansion.

Question 2

Describe the causes of pollution in the Ganga river. What measures has the government taken to address it?

Accepted Answer

GANGA POLLUTION — CAUSES: The Ganga (2,525 km long, basin covering 26% of India's area) supports ~500 million people but is heavily polluted. SOURCES OF POLLUTION: (1) DOMESTIC SEWAGE (PRIMARY CAUSE ~70%): Over 300 towns and cities on the Ganga's banks discharge approximately 1.3 billion litres of largely UNTREATED sewage daily. India's sewage treatment capacity covers only ~30–40% of sewage generated in Ganga basin towns. (2) INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS: Kanpur (world's largest leather tanning complex) — tanneries discharge chromium and other heavy metals. Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Allahabad have textile mills. Renukoot (Sonbhadra): chemical and fertiliser plants. (3) AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF: Fertiliser nitrogen, phosphorus, and pesticide residues from UP's intensive agriculture wash into the river during monsoon — causing algal blooms that deplete dissolved oxygen. (4) SOLID WASTE DUMPING: Plastics, packaging, and household waste dumped on riverbanks reach the water during floods. (5) RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES: Partially burned bodies (those not fully cremated due to wood/cost constraints) and religious offerings (flowers, diyas with chemical dyes) add to organic and chemical load. GOVERNMENT MEASURES: (1) GANGA ACTION PLAN (1985, Phase I and II): First major cleanup effort. Built some sewage treatment plants. Largely unsuccessful — STPs underutilised, poorly maintained, funded inconsistently. (2) NAMAMI GANGE PROGRAMME (2015): ₹20,000 crore mission for holistic Ganga rejuvenation. Focus on: building/upgrading sewage treatment plants, real-time effluent monitoring of industries, river surface cleaning, afforestation of riverbanks, ghats and crematoriums development. Better funded and implemented than previous efforts. (3) NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL (NGT): Courts ordering industrial units to treat effluents or close. Kanpur tanneries under repeated NGT orders. Challenges remain: implementation gap between policy and ground reality; slow construction of STPs; industries find ways around monitoring.

Question 3

Analyse the environmental challenges created by rapid urbanisation in India. How can cities balance development and sustainability?

Accepted Answer

URBANISATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES IN INDIA: India is urbanising rapidly (~35% urban in 2023, up from 28% in 2011), and this is creating severe environmental stress in Indian cities. CHALLENGES: (1) AIR POLLUTION: Delhi's AQI regularly exceeds 400 ('severe' category, October–January). Sources: vehicle emissions (~28% of PM2.5), construction dust (~28%), industrial emissions, crop residue burning in Punjab/Haryana (the stubble burning that creates Delhi's winter smog). India has 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities (IQ Air 2023). Health cost: 2.3 million deaths/year attributable to air pollution in India. (2) WATER SCARCITY AND POLLUTION: Rapid urbanisation exceeds water supply capacity. Bengaluru (fastest growing major city) faces severe groundwater depletion. Delhi needs 900 million gallons/day; supply is only 750 MGD even before losses. Urban water bodies (lakes, ponds) have been encroached and built over — Bengaluru had 262 lakes in 1960; fewer than 90 functional today. Sewage treatment inadequacy (described in Ganga answer) affects all Indian cities. (3) SOLID WASTE: India generates ~70 million tonnes of municipal solid waste/year. Only ~40% is processed; the rest dumped in open landfills (Ghazipur landfill in Delhi is larger than the Taj Mahal). Burning of dumped waste creates dioxins and PM2.5. Plastic pollution in urban water bodies. (4) URBAN HEAT ISLAND (UHI) EFFECT: Concrete and asphalt absorb more heat than vegetation. Cities are 2–4°C warmer than surrounding rural areas. In summer, Delhi temperatures regularly exceed 45–48°C — partially UHI amplification of natural heat. (5) BIODIVERSITY LOSS: Urban expansion destroys forests, wetlands, and farmland. Delhi's urban expansion absorbed hundreds of villages and their surrounding ecosystems. BALANCING DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY: (1) GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: Urban forests (Delhi's Aravalli forests, Chennai's Adyar estuary), urban parks, green rooftops reduce UHI and air pollution. Singapore's 'City in a Garden' model is instructive. (2) METRO AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Delhi Metro reduced vehicle use by ~390,000 car trips/day (DMRC estimate). Expanding metro networks in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Pune reduces emissions. (3) WASTE-TO-ENERGY + RECYCLING: Waste management infrastructure investment — composting organic waste, recycling paper/plastic, converting non-recyclable waste to energy. (4) WATER RECYCLING AND LAKES RESTORATION: Bengaluru's BWSSB working on lake restoration; Chennai's rainwater harvesting mandate (mandatory for buildings >300m² since 2000) replenished Chennai's groundwater. (5) SMART CITIES MISSION: 100 cities targeted for technology-enabled, sustainable urban development. Emphasis on sensor-based monitoring of pollution, smart traffic management, LED street lighting. CONCLUSION: The tension between development and sustainability is manageable if cities implement environmental infrastructure ALONGSIDE (not after) economic development. Kerala's HDI shows that good social outcomes don't require sacrificing environment — and India's smartest cities are realising that environmental quality is a COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE for attracting investment and talent.

Practice — Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues and Problems (India)

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