AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.
(C) Irrigated agriculture
Irrigated agriculture is the largest consumer of freshwater resources, as it requires huge amounts of water to expand irrigated areas, especially for dry-season farming.
Source: Water Scarcity and the Need for Water Conservation and Management, Chapter 3
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The textbook explicitly states: "Irrigated agriculture is the largest consumer of water." This is a direct factual line — memorise it exactly. Hydroelectric plants use water but return most of it; industries are heavy users but secondary to agriculture; domestic use is the least among the four options.