Q1. [4] deep exam-ready
Study the following information and answer the questions:
Meghalaya, in northeast India, is home to two remarkable water management traditions. First, the bamboo drip irrigation system — about 200 years old — taps stream and spring water using bamboo pipes. Around 18–20 litres of water enters the bamboo pipe system and, after travelling over hundreds of metres, is reduced to just 20–80 drops per minute at the plant site. Second, rooftop rainwater harvesting is widely practised in Shillong, even though Cherapunjee and Mawsynram — situated just 55 km away — receive the highest rainfall in the world. Nearly every Shillong household has a rooftop harvesting structure, which contributes 15–25% of total household water needs. Meanwhile, water scarcity is a reality even in areas of high rainfall, primarily due to absence of proper storage and distribution systems.
(i) What physical principle makes the bamboo drip irrigation system work without any mechanical pumping? (1 mark)
(ii) Why does Shillong face water scarcity despite being located so close to the world's highest rainfall areas? (1 mark)
(iii) What does the reduction of 18–20 litres at entry to 20–80 drops per minute at the plant site tell us about the bamboo drip irrigation system's approach to water use? (1 mark)
(iv) How does the example of Meghalaya challenge the assumption that water scarcity is only a problem of arid or low-rainfall regions? (1 mark)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:32 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) The bamboo drip irrigation system works on the principle of gravity. Water from hilltop springs and streams flows naturally downhill through bamboo pipes without any mechanical pumping.
(ii) Shillong faces water scarcity due to the absence of proper storage and distribution systems, not lack of rainfall. High rainfall nearby does not help if water cannot be stored and supplied effectively.
(iii) The drastic reduction from 18–20 litres to just 20–80 drops per minute shows that the system is designed for highly efficient, targeted water use — delivering water directly to plant roots with minimal wastage.
(iv) Meghalaya shows that water scarcity is not limited to arid regions — even areas near the world's highest rainfall zones face acute shortage due to poor storage and distribution, proving scarcity is a management problem, not just a rainfall problem.
Source: Water Resources, Chapter 3
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Explanation
- (i) The passage caption explicitly says water is diverted "by gravity" — that is the one-word principle examiners expect.
- (ii) Quote directly from the passage: "absence of proper storage and distribution systems."
- (iii) This is an inference question — link the numbers to the idea of precision/efficiency in water delivery.
- (iv) Connects the case study to the broader concept from the chapter: scarcity is caused by mismanagement, not just low rainfall. This analytical point is what examiners reward.