Q1. [5] deep thorough-understanding
Sustainable development requires that present development does not compromise the needs of future generations. Analyse how THREE of the following — over-irrigation, mining without reclamation, deforestation, and ploughing up-and-down slopes — each violate this principle by creating a specific, lasting form of land or soil damage.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:30 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Sustainable development demands that current actions do not permanently damage resources needed by future generations. Three activities that violate this principle are:
- Over-irrigation: Excess irrigation in states like Punjab, Haryana, and western U.P. causes waterlogging, which increases soil salinity and alkalinity. This permanently reduces soil fertility, making land unfit for cultivation for future generations.
- Mining without reclamation: After excavation, mining sites are abandoned leaving deep scars and overburdening. In states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, this causes severe, long-lasting land degradation that cannot be easily reversed.
- Deforestation: Removal of forests exposes soil to erosion. Without vegetation cover, running water and wind remove the topsoil permanently, as soil formation takes millions of years to rebuild even a few centimetres.
- Ploughing up-and-down slopes: This creates channels for quick water flow, accelerating gully and sheet erosion, stripping away fertile topsoil irreversibly and rendering land unfit for farming.
(Any THREE of the above four points are sufficient for full marks.)
Source: Resources and Development, Chapter 1 — Land Degradation and Soil Erosion sections
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Explanation
- The examiner expects you to name the activity → state the specific damage → explain why it is lasting/irreversible. Three such chains earn full marks.
- Always use textbook terms: waterlogging, salinity, alkalinity, gully erosion, sheet erosion, overburdening.
- Mention specific states where the textbook does — it shows you have read the source carefully and earns extra credit.
- Do not just list activities; each point must clearly link back to the sustainable development principle (permanent loss for future generations).