Q1. [4]
Sardar Sarovar Project
Sardar Sarovar Dam has been built over the Narmada river in Gujarat. This is one of the largest water resources projects of India covering four states – Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Sardar Sarovar Project would meet the requirement of water in drought prone and desert areas. Sardar Sarovar Project will provide irrigation facilities to 18.45 lakh hectare of land, covering 3112 villages in 15 districts of Gujarat. It will also irrigate 2,46,000 hectare of land in the strategic desert districts of Barmer and Jalore in Rajasthan and 37,500 hectare in the tribal hilly tract of Maharashtra through lift. About 75% of the command area in Gujarat is drought prone while entire command in Rajasthan is drought prone. Assured water supply will soon make this area drought proof.
Read the given source and answer the questions that follow :
- 18.1 Why is Sardar Sarovar Project considered important for Gujarat ? [1]
- 18.2 Why is Sardar Sarovar Project designed to cover four states ? [1]
- 18.3 In what ways does this project promote sustainability ? [2]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 32/4/1 Q18
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:04 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
18.1 Sardar Sarovar Project is important for Gujarat because it provides irrigation to 18.45 lakh hectares covering 3112 villages in 15 districts, and about 75% of its command area is drought prone, so the project will make it drought proof.
18.2 The project covers four states — Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan — because the Narmada river flows through all these states and its water resources need to be shared equitably to meet the water requirements of their drought prone and desert areas.
18.3 The project promotes sustainability by:
- Providing assured water supply to drought prone areas, making them drought proof in the long run.
- Irrigating tribal hilly tracts of Maharashtra and desert districts of Rajasthan, ensuring long-term agricultural stability.
- Covering a large multi-state region, promoting balanced and sustainable water resource management across 18.45 lakh hectares of land.
Source: Sardar Sarovar Project (Water Resources, Chapter 3)
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Explanation
- 18.1: Pick the specific Gujarat-related statistics from the passage (18.45 lakh ha, 3112 villages, drought prone area) — examiners want data, not vague statements.
- 18.2: The passage says it covers four states; reason out the inter-state water sharing angle from the passage context (drought prone/desert areas across states).
- 18.3 (2 marks): Give two distinct points scaled to 1 mark each — drought proofing and long-term agricultural/water sustainability. Avoid going beyond the passage; examiners expect source-based answers.
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