Social Science (087) — CBSE Class 10 board question

Three main factors responsible for land degradation are:

1. Deforestation and Mining: Mining leads to abandoned sites with deep scars. In states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, deforestation due to mining has caused severe land degradation.

1. Overgrazing: In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation.

1. Over-irrigation: In Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, over-irrigation causes waterlogging, leading to increased salinity and alkalinity in the soil, thus degrading the land.

Source: Resources and Development, Land Degradation and Conservation Measures

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• The examiner expects three distinct factors with a state-level example for each — this shows you've read the textbook carefully and earns full marks.
• Key terms to use: waterlogging, salinity/alkalinity, overgrazing, mining scars — these are the exact words from the NCERT text.
• Avoid vague answers like "human activities harm land" — be specific with causes and locations.